A Summer's Tale
by GilFeir
Summary: After recovering from the frightening experiences of spring, Legolas and Aragorn enjoy their relationship and the acceptance of the young man’s family. Until something tragic threatens to shatter their happiness. AL SLASH
1. Summer

_** A Summer's Tale**_

**Author**: Gil Feir

**Rating:**** K+ (as of yet)**

**Summary:** After recovering from the frightening experiences of spring, Legolas and Aragorn enjoy their relationship and the acceptance of the young man's family. Until something tragic threatens to shatter their happiness.

_Warning: Just in case you stumbled across this story and have not read the prequels: _

_THIS IS SLASH!_

**Disclaimer:** I actually have no right to use the characters or anything that Tolkien has written. And I do not pretend to. But I have no money so suing me would be useless.

**Series:** Yes.

1. A Winter's Tale

_(A Winter's Tale is posted under •Imaginigma•'s account)_

2. A Spring's Tale

3. A Summer's Tale

(guess what the sequel will be called…•g•)

**A/N: So, I am back! Here we are with another story about our two lovers. Join them in this adventure that will show them darkness and despair, fear and worry, but also love and life at the fullest. And...something small, black, scary, with wings...**

**I will try to update once a week, but you never know what real life has in story for you. Rest assured that chapter two is finished and chapter 3 almost. So there will be a chapter next week. And as always, my muse and I would love to know what you think. Review, please! It really makes me write faster, because I have a strange sense of duty. Could be the addiction to fanfiction, too, but who cares? lol Now, enough ramblig, read and enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 1: Summer

"You will never catch me!" Aragorn yelled happily, running across the grassy meadow. His bare feet almost flew over the flowers and the clover, and more than once he had to spread his arms wide to not stumble and land flat on his face. The fact that he was laughing loudly was not helping his situation any, but right there and then he did not care in the slightest.

"You just wait Estel!" Another voice called across the meadow, sounding equally worriless. "You cheated!" This elicited a bark of laughter from Aragorn, who neither stopped his mad dash across the field nor turned around to his pursuer.

"I never cheat, Legolas. I merely even the odds." No answer came, but soon Aragorn could hear the sound of running feet behind him, causing him to double his attempts to cross the meadow and reach the dark shelter of the small group of trees at the other side.

But he never got even close to the shadows of the high pine trees that lined one of the rivers that meandered through the valley of Rivendell, for a moment later he was grabbed from behind by two strong arms and lifted into the air in mid run, causing him to almost squeal in surprise. His yell turned into laughter when Legolas whirled him around, making his dark locks fly around his face. With a peal of laughter of his own, Legolas let them both tumble to the ground, where they nearly vanished in the high grass. Landing on top of Aragorn, Legolas pressed the man's arms to the ground gently and schooled his features into a mask of seriousness.

"You cheated."

Trying to stop grinning and failing miserably, Estel lifted his chin a fraction. "And what if I did?"

Legolas raised an elegant eyebrow and a line of thought appeared between his eyes. He thought for a moment, then nodded his head once. "You will have to be punished for your actions, young man."

"Oh, is that so?" Sweet innocence radiated off the young ranger's body, and his eyes gleamed merrily. Any other would have run from the serious look on the elf's face, but Estel, being not only his best friend but his lover as well, knew Legolas good enough to see the waggishness behind Legolas's eyes.

"Aye, indeed." And before Estel could react in any way, Legolas had taken a hold of him, got to his feet and thrown him across his shoulder like a sack of flour. Laughing, Estel slapped the elf on his back and moved his legs, demanding to be let down.

"No, you will have to be punished for cheating in our race, Estel." Legolas said, a smile obvious in his voice. With quick strides he moved across the meadow and then passed into the shadows of the trees. The forest floor was spread with dry needles and leaves which crunched under his bare feet, and even Estel could hear the lapping of water against rocks.

"Legolas! Let me down." The man laughed, pounding his hands against Legolas's back softly. When the elf merely shook his head and laughed lightly, Aragorn sighed in defeat. A moment later, he tilted his head to the side and narrowed his eyes, a huge grin spreading over his features. "Actually, you could carry me like this all the time, Legolas."

"And why would that be?" The elf in question asked, making his way through some bushes and advancing on the stream that wound its way through the forest.

"Because," Aragorn said, pronouncing the word very slowly, "I have a wonderful view on your lovely behind this way, my friend."

"What?!" Legolas said and turned around, forgetting for one moment that Aragorn was not walking behind him but was lying across his shoulder. With a mock annoyed huff, Legolas turned around again, before he gave Estel's behind a gentle slap. "My view is equally entertaining, you know."

Now it was Aragorn's time to huff in mock annoyance, but he had not much time to play the hurt. A few moments later Legolas stopped in his tracks, and when Estel peered through the crook between Legolas's arm and his back, he could make out the glittering surface of the river.

"And now, Estel, it is time for young rangers to learn what will happen to them when they cheat their friends." Without another warning, Legolas turned his back to the river, lifted his arms and therewith threw Aragorn into the water. There was a huge splash and droplets of water flying everywhere. A moment later, Estel's dark haired head appeared at the surface, the locks plastered to the face. Spitting out water, the young man wiped his hair out of his face.

"That was totally uncalled for, Legolas."

"No it was not and you know it." The elf laughed, gazing fondly at the man. Water was running down the young, unmarred face, dripping from the wet hair and clinging to the dark eyelashes. For a moment Legolas stood transfixed, his heart beating faster in his chest. It was Aragorn who broke the spell. Cupping water into his hands, the young ranger splashed it at Legolas, smiling.

"Come in, Legolas. The water is wonderfully refreshing." Saying that, Aragorn pulled his now thoroughly soaked shirt over his head and tossed it at the bank of the river, before he drew up his legs and floated on his back in the water. The river was as wide as two elf's were tall and deep enough that a grown man could stand comfortably with the water reaching up to his shoulders. The current was not strong, and the trees that lined the stream at this place provided shade from the harsh summer sun.

Closing his eyes, Estel enjoyed the cool water on his warm body and the absolute silence when the water covered his ears. Suddenly, slender hands grabbed him gently by the shoulders, and fine strands of hair tickled his face. He smiled without opening his eyes, and when warm lips were pressed on his own, he answered the kiss willingly, inwardly sighing with bliss. The kiss lingered, and when their lips parted, Aragorn finally opened his eyes, "I love you, Legolas."

Smiling fondly at the young ranger, Legolas let his forefinger caress the man's cheek, "Not as much as I love you, Estel."

•••••

Summer had reached the valley of Imladris, and with the heat of the sun the hearts of the inhabitants had gotten wings. Or at least so it seemed. During the hot, often sultry days the elves of Imladris went about their business, unaffected by the sun's often harsh rays. But at night, when the silver stars twinkled in the sky, happy couplets strolled through the gardens, arm in arm, enjoying the warm summer breeze and the smell of jasmine in the air. And not seldom a pair of laughing lovers could be seen bathing in the rivers and lakes, or diving under the pearly waterfalls to the hidden grottos behind.

The midsummer's day came and went and still the sun shone brightly from the sky. It had not rained in weeks, and while the valley seemed less affected by it, the plains surrounding the valley were brown and the earth cracked. The tide in the rivers became lower almost daily, but the elves living in the valley had every trust in the Valar (and their Lord) that this continuing drought would not last forever.

With the coming of the summer, not only nature had changed. It had been but a few short weeks that Legolas and Aragorn had opened up to the young ranger's family, telling them that they were not only friends and brothers in arms, but lovers in heart as well. Their telling of their relationship had been under rather tragic circumstances, though.

Seeing that Legolas had stayed most of the winter in Eriador, King Thranduil, his father, had sent a messenger to Rivendell to make sure that his son was faring well. This messenger, Lithdal his name, had not only attacked Aragorn, trying to take from him more than he was willing to give, but he had also attacked the Prince and tried to kill him. This treason alone would have sentenced him to exile or even death, but his attack had gone awry and the knife that had been meant for Legolas had injured Aragorn instead, wounding the young man badly.

Lithdal had fled into the woods surrounding the valley and not even Elladan and Elrohir, the twin sons of Lord Elrond, had been able to find him. While he had not been forgotten, the memory of him had dimmed in the weeks after the attack. When Aragorn had been restored to full health, Lithdal had become nothing more than a bad aftertaste, and his memory stored in the farthest back of everyone's mind.

Well, not everyone's, as Legolas knew only too well. Sometimes as night, when all was quiet and only the sad hoot of an owl could be heard, he was often woken from his elven dreams by his restless companion. Aragorn suffered from frequent nightmares, obviously unable to come to terms with what had almost happened to him. The words that Lithdal had spoken to him haunted him in his sleep, if not in his waking hours, and sometimes, when he thought himself unobserved, a darkness seemed to enter his eyes. But, he never talked about it, and Legolas would not push him.

When summer brought the first hot days and warm nights, the nightmares slowly became fewer, and Legolas hoped that one day they would vanish completely. Maybe time could heal what even his love for the young ranger could not. And so Legolas and Aragorn simply enjoyed their days - and nights - together, happy that Aragorn's family had accepted their relationship so easily. Although, they were not yet ready to show their love too openly, and so they were never intimate when in the company of others.

Just like this afternoon, when they had decided to take a stroll down to one of the smaller streams that meandered through the valley. No cloud could be seen at the azure blue sky, and even the butterflies seemed to be too lazy to fly around. After the refreshing swim in the river, Aragorn and Legolas stretched out at the bank of the river, letting their bodies dry in the warm summer air.

Crossing his legs at his ankles and bedding his head on his equally crossed arms, Legolas stared up at the blue sky, a small smile on his face. Swimming had not been all they had done in the river, and he could still feel the lingering heat of Aragorn's kisses. His smile widened, causing his companion to poke him gently with his elbow.

"What are you thinking about?" Aragorn asked, squinting a little against the sunny rays that shown through the trees. His skin had taken on the hue of honey in the last few weeks, having drunken in the sun eagerly.

"Nothing in particular." Legolas answered, breathing in deeply. "You know, I think I cannot even remember when I have felt this good. Imladris is so different from Mirkwood."

As always when Legolas spoke of his home, sadness and pride warred with equal strength within him, but it seemed that today the pride of his homeland won the battle. Rolling over to face the young ranger, Legolas continued.

"You have never been to Mirkwood, have you Estel?"

Aragorn shook his head, tucking a strand of already almost dried hair behind his ear, "My family thought it to be too dangerous, considering my youth and inexperience."

"Mirkwood is not that dangerous, if you know which paths to tread and which to evite." Legolas said, tilting his head slightly to the side. "And if you know when to duck and when to run, you could even make it out of the forest alive."

Aragorn gave him a look that clearly said what he thought about that answer, causing Legolas to laugh clearly and slap the man gently. "No, really Estel. Mirkwood is not as dangerous as people might think."

"Is that so?" Aragorn asked, sitting up and starting to count off his fingers, ticking them off with his other hand. "First, there are the giant spiders that first paralyze you before they slowly turn your insides into a slimy mess so that they can suck you out."

Legolas grimaced slightly, ready to answer something, but Aragorn would not let him, already ticking off his second finger.

"Then, there would be the orcs that want nothing more than to torture you within the inch of your life before they hack you into pieces." He frowned slightly, then added, "Well, maybe not in that order."

Legolas was hard pressed not to interrupted Aragorn, but the sight of the young man counting off the dangers of his homeland with such a mock serious face was simply too adorable.

"Thirdly, there would be the Enchanted River. Sweet dream and goodbye to every carless wanderer. Fourthly, the black squirrels that are as big as dogs and can chew your ears off." Aragorn shuddered slightly, eliciting a small laugh from Legolas. Then, in quick progress, Aragorn counted off all the other dangers that loomed in Mirkwood that he had heard off.

"Giant moths, poisonous snakes, flesh eating plants, wolves, wargs, trolls, bats and oh, don't forget your common wood elf." Aragorn smirked at Legolas, "Rumor has it that they lure unsuspecting humans into their homes and place them under a spell. Turn them into will-less slaves."

Quirking an eyebrow, Legolas leaned closer towards the human, "The same could be said of the Dunedain, it seems." And then he kissed Aragorn, sweet and tender, but with a definitively smug twist.

Leaning back, both of them gazed at the sky for a moment, before Legolas continued their conversation, "You know, if your duties with the rangers allow it, you could come with me to Mirkwood when I return home."

Aragorn's head turned into his direction so quickly that Legolas thought to hear the man's spine crack. "Do you mean that?"

"Of course." Smiling, Legolas let his hand caress down the young ranger's cheek, "I cannot stay here forever, but I shall terribly miss you when I leave." His voice turned softer and his eyes showed his deep feelings, "I have waited for you for so long, melethron. I cannot let you leave my life so soon again."

Smiling at Legolas, Aragorn shook his head slowly, "Now, and we can't have that now, can we? You know what? When nothing serious comes up ere you leave, I will accompany you to Mirkwood."

Beaming, Legolas gave a small whoop of joy, before he winked at the young ranger. "Does that mean you are no longer afraid of the orcs, wargs, wolves and spiders?"

"Afraid? Me?" Aragorn crossed his arms behind his head, trying to suppress his grin. "I am never afraid, and besides, you will be there to have a look at me."

Legolas only nodded, vowing silently that indeed, he would be there to protect Aragorn should something happen. After the happenings with Lithdal, the urge to protect the young man had become even stronger, and although he knew that Aragorn was old enough to look after himself, Legolas could not change his feelings. Arda was not as safe as it once had been, and the fact that someone who Legolas had known for hundreds of years had nearly killed Aragorn had shaken the elf, too.

As if Aragorn had felt his dark thoughts, a honey hued hand reached out and grasped Legolas's hand, entwining their fingers. Aragorn said nothing, having closed his eyes, but Legolas was very grateful for the contact. Sighing, the elf snuggled closer to the young ranger, trying to enjoy the sun and the warmth of summer. After but a few long moment, he had chased away his gloomy thoughts, imagining much nicer things instead.

•••••

That night, when Aragorn and Legolas lay side by side in bed and the slightly cooler nightly breeze brushed over their naked bodies, they discussed their plans for the coming days. Up until now they had simply enjoyed the summer and the sun, but they both felt that it was getting boring to only swim and play and do nothing. They were beings of action, after all, and lazing around was nothing they could enjoy for too long a time.

"We could go on a hunt." Aragorn suggested, lying spread eagled on the bed. Even the cooler temperatures at night were still high enough to make him sweat.

"All the game has left the woods to find food further to the North, where it is cooler." Legolas said, tracing little circles onto Aragorn's chest with his finger.

Thinking for a moment, the young ranger absently smiled at the sensation of the elf's finger on his skin. "What about an excursion to the caves to the East? I have heard that they are cool in summer, with white bats living in their depths."

"White bats?" Legolas quirked a skeptical eyebrow. "There are no things such as white bats, Estel. Surely your brothers told you so?"

"Actually," Aragorn raised his finger to emphasize his point, "it was Glorfindel who told me this."

"Really?" If Legolas had ever sounded more skeptical, than surely not now. He had never heard of white bats, and he lived in Mirkwood after all, where all eerie creatures seemed to have made their homes. On the other hand, Lord Glorfindel was no elf who was prone to jokes or pranks.

"Really." The young ranger agreed, bobbing his head. "And before you ask, I checked it in some of the books in my father's library. There are some, admittedly rather old, sightings of white bats reported in them. But I think, no one has been searching for them in the last three yeni or so."

"I wonder why not." Legolas said, stopping his ministrations on Aragorn's chest and wrapping his arm around the man's chest instead. "White bats….interesting."

Grinning, Aragorn placed his own arm above Legolas's and turned his head to lock his eyes with his friend's. "Why don't we find out if they really exist? It would surely be better than doing nothing all the day and the caves are not that far. If we leave at morn tomorrow we could reach them at nightfall."

"Aye, why not?" Giving Aragorn a sweet kiss, Legolas snuggled closer to the man, "Let's go bat hunting."

"And you have no problems with entering a cave?" Ever perceptive, Aragorn knew how much Legolas disliked caves of any sort, although the elf had never told him why exactly. True, the Eldar were not fond of caves as a general rule, but Legolas in particular seemed to be very uncomfortable in them.

To Aragorn's surprise, Legolas laughed softly, "Nay, Estel, I have no problems with that. After all, I actually _live_ in a cave, just for the case you have forgotten." He was silent for a second, but then added quickly, "But never tell anybody that I said that. The twins would never let me live it down."

Laughing too, Aragorn turned to lie on his side, facing the window. "No, I will not, I promise. Tomorrow we will go bat hunting then."

"Aye, tomorrow at dawn." Legolas mumbled, before he pressed himself against Aragorn's back like he always did at night, with his arm draped across the young ranger's middle. "Goodnight, melethron."

"Sweet dreams, Legolas."

To be continued


	2. Journeying

**A/N: I want to thank all the wonderful reviews. You really, really help me write the next chapters. 'group huggle'**

Chapter 2: Journeying

Early the next morning Legolas and Aragorn shouldered their packs, waved Aragorn's family goodbye and set out from the Last Homely House. Their trip would take them eastwards through the valley, over wide plains with green grasses that swayed in the gentle breeze of the afternoon, and through dark woods that lined the many streams that meandered through the valley. When they walked briskly but still relaxed, they would reach the cave system shortly after nightfall.

The cooks of Lord Elrond's household had packed cold meat and fresh bread, as well as cheese and some vegetables into their packs, and their flasks were filled with sweet juice. There were enough streams flowing through the valley that there was no need to burden themselves with water flasks.

For most of the morning Aragorn and Legolas marched eastwards without pause, but around early midday the sun became too harsh and the temperature too warm for the young man to bear. Therefore, they sought the shadows of trees whenever it was available, moving more slowly. Legolas did not mind the unhurried pace, for it gave him the opportunity to enjoy the scenery of Imladris, the twittering of the many birds, the humming of the bees and the gurgling of the brooks.

They stopped at noon for rest, sitting down under a century old oak. A gentle breeze stirred the grasses that grew around the thick trunk, but it brought them no refreshment, but only more warm air. Sighing, Aragorn wiped his hand across his sweaty forehead. His dark tresses clung to his temples, and he had long ago abandoned even his linen shirt in an attempt to cool down somewhat.

"We should have journeyed at night." The young ranger grumbled, taking a big gulp from his flasks. "This heat is simply unbearable." As if to underline his words, Aragorn moved his hand once more across his forehead, before he wiped it clean at his leggings.

Legolas, leaning against the trunk of the tree with his feet crossed at the ankles, gave Aragorn an innocent smile, "I like the sun and warmth." And with a wink in the man's direction, he added smugly, "And the view."

With a mock-annoyed gesture Aragorn swatted at Legolas half-heartedly. "It is simply too hot to wear my shirt, Legolas. Not all of us are so unaffected by the weather."

"Am I complaining?" Turning huge eyes on the young ranger, Legolas began to pout slightly.

For the first few moments Aragorn actually managed to keep a straight face, but then Legolas's bottom lip began to quiver, causing Aragorn to burst into a laugh. "All right, all right."

Grinning, Legolas leaned forwards to give Aragorn a sweet kiss. "Just be careful, Estel, if you keep this shirtlessness up, I might be tempted to do something I would surely not regret later, but that might prompt your brothers to chase me out of the valley." Legolas said, his eyes glimmering with mischief.

"Oh, is that so?" Kissing Legolas on those red lips of his, Aragorn traced a finger down the elf's cheek.

"Oh yes." Legolas said softly, brushing his lips gently against the man's, tasting the sweet juice the man had just drunken. A moment later their lips met in a lingering kiss, letting them forget the world around them. They sunk down into the lush grass, and their hands soon found just the right spots to caress and massage. One kiss turned into many more, and when they parted, they both panted slightly.

Tucking a strand of blond hair behind Legolas's ear, Aragorn smiled at the elf. "I could do this for hours, Legolas. But if we want to reach the caves today, we should leave now."

A heartfelt sigh escaped the Wood-elf, but he nodded. "Ai, I think you are right." He climbed nimbly to his feet and extended a hand to help Aragorn up. "Let us be gone, then. The sooner we arrive at the caves, the more time we have for other things." There was no way Aragorn could have missed the lovely sparkle in Legolas's eyes, and with a grin, the man let himself be helped to his feet.

They quickly packed their things and set out again, but they had not gone very far yet when the forest they had been walking through thinned out, and the last trees fell away behind them. Before them, a wide meadow spread from left to right, with a few small brooks running through it. There was no tree or large boulder to be seen, and Aragorn sighed dejectedly.

With a look that reminded Legolas very much of a disgruntled puppy, the young man took his pack from his shoulders and began to rummage through it. After a few moments of searching, he took something out that looked like a piece of white clothing, before he closed his pack again and swung it across his shoulders.

With the white thing in his hand, he looked pleadingly at Legolas, "Promise me that you won't laugh, Legolas."

Having no clue what his friend was talking about, Legolas shrugged with his shoulders, "Why should I laugh, Estel? What is this?" He gestured at the white linen thing in Aragorn's hands, eyeing it curiously.

Another suffering sigh left Aragorn's lips lisp, and with a gesture so full of loathing and defeat, the young man shook the white thing out, before he put it on his head. With an expression of hopefulness he turned to gaze at Legolas, doing his best to give the elf his best wounded puppy look.

For a moment, Legolas was absolutely speechless. He was a yeni old elf, but something this _ridiculous_ he had never seen before. At first he did not even know what it was that Aragorn had placed on his head, but after a moment of staring, his brain told him that the white things actually was supposed to be some sort of hat. A very ugly, disfigured and mean hat, another part of his brain supported helpfully.

"Legolas?" Aragorn's almost timid voice reached the elf's ears, and only then did he realize that he must have stared speechlessly at the _hat_ for many moments. "Is it that bad?"

"No!" Legolas hastened to say, and when he saw the man's wince, he added quickly, "No, Estel. It is quite….charming, actually." It took most of Legolas's self restraint to not move his hand behind his back so that he could cross his fingers at this blunt lie.

Aragorn fingered the rim of the hat for a moment, looking doubtful, "My brothers made it for me some years ago, when we had an equally hot summer. I know that it is…not the most pretty thing, but I never came around to replace it."

Now that his first shock tore off, Legolas had to fight hard to not let a huge smirk cross his face. The hat that the young man was wearing was the most ugly thing he had ever seen, and that included the naked dwarf he had seen shortly after the Battle of the Five Armies. The thing did not even resemble a hat, but looked rather like a wobbly (not so clean) rag. Had Legolas not known better, he would have thought the thing to be some sort of cleaning cloth. And, and that was maybe the most funny thing, the hat made Aragorn look like a toddler again (not that Legolas had ever seen a toddler, but that was how he imagined them to look).

With the golden skin and the dark locks that peeked out from under the broad rim of the hat, and the huge, pleading eyes, Aragorn simply looked….cute. That was the only word that came to Legolas's mind, and he bit his cheek to restrain the stupid grin that wanted to spread over his face.

So, Legolas sought for something to say that would not hurt the young man's pride, and after some seconds of mindless staring, Legolas finally asked, "What are you wearing it for, anyway? It is not raining."

Legolas had not thought it possible, but the pleading look on Aragorn's look became even more pleading. "Don't laugh, Legolas."

"I won't, Estel. So, why are you wearing it?" Legolas gave the hat an experimental tug, before he gazed at his friend once more.

"It is because of the sun, Legolas." Aragorn said, and when he saw Legolas's perplexed look, he elaborated. "One summer, as hot as this one, I played out in the sun for hours when I was younger. My dark hair attracted the sun and in the evening I suffered from a sunstroke. The twins made this hat for me then, and I promised to wear it on days like this. It actually helps."

For Legolas, the fact that the sun could hurt one of Eru's creations was a strange concept. Elves did not suffer from sunstrokes, and he had never heard of it before. While the two friends made their way across the meadow, he asked curiously, "A sunstroke? I have never heard of this. What is it?"

"Well," Aragorn began, trying to find the best way to describe it to his friend. He knew Legolas long enough to know that the concept of human illnesses was strange to the elf, and that he did not feel comfortable whenever this subject was brought up. Therefore, Aragorn tried to explain a sunstroke to Legolas with but a few words, without making it sound too serious, downplaying the things that could happen. He did not want to worry Legolas when there was no need to.

When he was finished, Legolas gave him a strange look, "And that hat helps you to not get a sunstroke?"

"Aye. It is no guarantee, but a very good precaution."

"And if you would get a stroke, you would suffer from fever and dizziness and sickness?"

Aragorn nodded, "Aye, most likely."

Legolas made a face, but his eyes remained serious, "That sounds awful. And dangerous." He turned to look at the young ranger, "Estel, why would you think I would laugh at you because you wear a hat to try to prevent something like this?"

"I don't know." Aragorn answered, shrugging his shoulders. "If you say it like this, it really was a stupid thought." The man thought for a moment before he continued, "For me, a sunstroke is something normal, like a cold or another human sickness. But for you, it is just….alien."

Legolas said nothing for a moment, but then he draped an arm across Aragorn's shoulders, "I would never laugh at one of your human traits, Estel. They are what make you so interesting to me, so unique."

"Really?" Aragorn asked skeptically, but when he looked into Legolas's eyes as saw the truth there, he smiled weakly, trying to lift the mood, "But you _do_ realize that I will wear this hat the whole day?"

Legolas gave the hat a queer look, then sighed audibly, "Every good things has its downsides, you know."

Aragorn groaned loudly, but a grin stole itself across his features, "So bad, huh?"

Unable to control his laughter any longer, Legolas laughed heartily, "Aye, Estel. So bad." And with another laugh, Legolas pulled the hat down over Aragorn's eyes, before he sprang away and ran down the field.

"Oh, Legolas! You just wait!" And with a shout of retaliation, Aragorn sprinted after the light-footed elf, a smile on his face.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

Late that night, just after it became really dark, Legolas and Aragorn reached the eastern side of the valley, where the cave system was located that Aragorn had mentioned to Legolas. With the setting of the sun, the temperatures had dropped somewhat, but it was sticky and sultry. After a day of journeying, even Legolas looked a bit worse for wear, with his blond hair getting loose from his braids and his clothing clinging to his body.

They set up camp close to the entrance to the caves, but they lit no fire due to the warmth of the night. A narrow brook burbled nearby and they washed the day's sweat and grime from their bodies, before they spread out their bed rolls and settled down comfortably. Neither of the two had a big appetite that evening, and so they simply ate the rest of the meat and some bread, leaving the cheese and fruits for the next day.

Bedding his head on Legolas's chest, Aragorn gazed up at the sky. A myriad of silver stars shone down on them, bathing the night into a silver hue. It accented Legolas's elven glow, causing Aragorn to sigh contentedly. The last weeks had been the most wonderful in his young life, and to be out here in the woods, alone with Legolas, not having to worry about wolves or orcs or any other foul beasts, that was simply too good to be true.

"What makes you smile, Estel?" Legolas asked, stroking the young man's hair fondly.

"Nothing." Smiling up at Legolas, Aragorn shrugged his shoulders. "Everything."

"Ah, we are in a philosophical mood tonight." There was a teasing undertone in Legolas's voice, causing Aragorn to lightly slap Legolas's leg.

"Sush, Legolas. You are destroying my good mood."

Laughing, Legolas shook his head and gave one of Aragorn's locks a soft tug. "Now, and we wouldn't have that, would we?"

"No, of course not." Redirecting his gaze back at the starry sky, Aragorn sighed once more. "That would make this whole trip rather…." But before he could finish his sentence, he suddenly sat up straight and slapped his hand to his ear, shuddering. A colorful curse left his lips, making Legolas raise a finely shaped eyebrow.

"Curse these stupid beasts!" Aragorn exclaimed, rubbing over his ear. "I swear they want to eat me alive." The man frowned, but then he slowly sank back again, shifting into a comfortable position. "How comes it these insects never bite you, Legolas?"

Legolas simply shrugged, "Because I told them not to. Maybe you should try it one time, too."

Aragorn shot him a disbelieving look (which Legolas ignored), before he shook his head, muttering quite audibly under his breath, "Wood-elves."

Legolas stroked Aragorn's hair until the young ranger had fallen asleep, and when his nightmares returned that night, he held him close, whispering reassurances into his ear. They calmed him and soothed him back to a deep sleep without ever waking him. That night, Legolas vowed that he would talk with Aragorn about the nightmares, if he wanted to or not. They could not continue, and Legolas was willing to do anything in his might to stop them.

To be continued


	3. Caves

Chapter 3: Caves

The curtains billowed gently in the breeze that waved into the room through the open window. The breeze was accompanied by the smell of roses and wild flowers, and it was strong enough to make the yellowish parchment on the small table that stood in the room flutter.

With an unconscious gesture Elrond of Imladris lifted his glass of clear water and placed it on the stack of papers as a kind of paperweight, his keen eyes never leaving the book he was currently reading. With the stifling heat of the day, his concentration had diminished rapidly, and so he had decided to come to one of the smaller rooms right under the roof of the house to read in one of his favorite books. As an elf he was unaffected by the heat, and he enjoyed the peace and quiet.

Turning a yellow page with his index finger, ever careful to not touch the parchment too much because of its ancient age, Elrond let his eyes travel down the many narrow lines of black ink. He had read this books many times in the past, but no matter how often he read it, it always filled him with a sense of childish joy. Of course, that might have been attributed to the fact that it was a children's book he was reading.

The book had been given to him when he had been but an elfling, and he had cherished the small book ever since. He had read from it to Elladan and Elrohir when they had been elflings, later to Arwen and many, many decades later even to the little Estel. All his children had loved to hear the tales this book entailed, and Elrond had many fond memories of reading them to them. He knew, deep in his heart, that should he one day sail over the sea, he would take this book with him, no matter what.

He had just finished a particularly deep going story about an elf who tried to reach the stars to catch one for his love, when he heard soft footsteps on the wooden stairs that let up to the small room he was staying in. A almost imperceptible sigh left his lips, and he closed the book gently after placing a small feather between the pages to mark where he had stopped reading.

Soon, he could make out the footsteps of at least two people, and he needed not his foresight to know who had come to pay him a visit. He was proven right only a moment later when there was a tentative knock at the door, quickly followed by the voice of his firstborn son.

"Ada? Are you here?"

"Yes, Elladan, I'm here." Elrond said, watching first Elladan and then Elrohir enter the room. Both twins wore sleeveless shirts and had braided their hair in a way that would keep it tightly bound to their heads. So, no warmth could gather under the long strands, something which was absolutely of no consequence for elves, but had fascinated the twins since they were very young warriors.

With a small smile, Elrond raised an eyebrow at his sons, asking without words what he could do for them. Elladan and Elrohir exchanged a quick look, before they sat down on a couch across from the chair Elrond was sitting in.

"We worry, ada." Elladan said, taking the direct route instead of beating around the bush. "This summer is too hot with too little rain. The rivers slowly dry out and the grass becomes brown. Soon, there will be no more food for the animals; many have wandered off already to the North in the hope of finding food."

Elrond took a deep breath and placed the book on the small table before he answered. "I, too, am worried by the weather. It has not been this warm in the valley since years."

Elrohir leaned forwards, resting his forearms on is thighs, "If this heat continues it could come to a serious draught as well as a famine outside the valley and within."

"It will not come to that, my sons, be assured." Elrond said, smiling at his worried children. He had discussed this unnatural heat with his counselors, and they had come to the decision that something would be done, should the draught not end soon. With a glimmer in his eyes, Elrond gently touched the ring on his left forefinger. "Measures will be taken ere this weather claims the first victims, be they animal, human or elf."

The twins exchanged a relived look, having absolute faith in their father and his power over the magic ring that he had received from the late High King Gil-Galad himself. Their fears having been blown away like mist in sunshine, the twins gazed around, until their eyes finally fell on the small book on the table.

"I can't believe you still read this." Elladan said, gesturing at the book. "Don't you have the stories memorized by now, ada?"

Elrond tilted his head to the side, "Maybe a word or two."

Standing up and moving over to the table, Elrohir picked up the book and ruffled slowly through it, "I remember you reading to us from it when we were younger. When naneth was still here." He stopped, then held the book out to his father, "Would you mind reading to us now, ada? Just a little story?"

A true smile spread out on Elrond's face when he took the book. Elrohir flopped down on the ground and stretched out, letting the sun play across his face. A moment later Elladan threw him a cushion to place under his head, before the older twin stretched out beside him.

Soon, Elrond's soothing voice drifted out of the window into the gardens below, reading a story to his sons that he had by now memorized and learned by heart.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………...

"Ready, Legolas?" Aragorn shouldered his half filled pack, shifting it until he had positioned it into a comfortable position. It was another hot morning with bright sunlight, although, so early in the morning, some thin white clouds were still drifting slowly across the blue sky.

Legolas and Aragorn had risen early, eager to enter and explore the caves. They would leave most of their things in the small camp they had set up the evening before, only taking with them what was necessary. After all, they planned to leave the caves again the same day. Although the cave systems were large and by some even called a maze, Legolas and Aragorn did not plan to stay in them for too long. They would return tonight to the camp and start a new exploring tour the next day.

Legolas buckled his twin knives (just as a precaution), lighted two torches at the fire before he extinguished it and scattered the ashes. He glanced quickly at the young man, smiling at the gleam of enthusiasm he saw in his eyes. Ever since Aragorn had awoken that morning the man had been eager to go.

"Aye, I'm ready." Legolas said, handing one of the burning torches to the ranger.

"Then let us be gone." With a smile on his face Aragorn turned around and headed towards the wide crack in the cliff walls that formed the entry to the cave system. His brothers had told him that they had searched the caves when they had been younger, but that they had never seen the white bats themselves. Aragorn knew it was unlikely, but a small part of him hope to find a trace of the animals, if only to make his brothers jealous.

Soon, the two friends had left the camp site behind and entered the caves. Here it was cool and the walls slightly damp. After only a couple of steps the sunny summer light vanished and they were dumped in a near complete darkness. The light of their torches was the only source of light to see by, and so they went along cautiously.

Although both Aragorn and Legolas had a very good sense of direction, they had taken precautions before entering the cave system. Both of them carried a piece of chalk stone, and whenever they turned around a corner or followed a new passageway, they would mark their way. So, they would have no problems to find their way out again. And, even more importantly, if they did not return to the Last Homely House, searchers would be able to follow them easily.

Slowly, they ventured deeper into the cave system, looking for signs of the bats. Here and there they found evidence that animals had hibernated in the caves, but there were no proves that there had actually been any bats.

The deeper they entered into the caves, the cooler it became, and soon Aragorn stopped to shrug into a long sleeved shirt. Maybe it was one of the hottest summers imaginable _outside_; _inside _the system it was cold enough to make Aragorn wish for something warm to drink. And, there was something else different so deep into the cave system than outside. The further they went, the more Legolas seemed to let Aragorn lead them.

At first, the two friends had walked a few steps from each other, careful not to come too close in case they touched the other with the torches. Legolas, with his superior elven eyesight had been walking at the front, deciding the direction they took. But the deeper they had gone, the slower his steps had become, until, at one point, Aragorn had taken the lead. Now, after three hours in this maze of corridors, Legolas was walking so close behind Aragorn that his warm breath constantly ghosted across Aragorn's neck.

As it seemed, Legolas was stronger affected by the darkness of the caves than he had thought he would, but he was too proud to admit it. Instead, he sought comfort and strength from Aragorn, which somehow pleased the young man immensely. Not the fact that Legolas did feel uncomfortable in the caves, but the fact that the elf trusted him enough to see a source of protection in him. It was a nice change from the rest of the time.

They walked through the caves for many hours, stopping here and there to look at the stone formations or to determine which way to turn next. Their torched had burned down already and they had replaced them, ever mindful that they would need more torched to find their way out again. After a quick break around lunch time they continued their explorations. They had walked in silken for some time, when Legolas suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"Do you hear that, Estel?" He had his head tilted to one side and seemed to listen intently.

Aragorn listened for a moment, but besides the crackling of the torches he heard nothing. "I hear naught. What is it you hear?"

"Sounds like….water." Legolas said, a frown forming on his face. After a few more moments of listening, he nodded his head. "Ai, it is definitely water."

"Water?" Aragorn said doubtfully. "Down here? Are you sure?"

Legolas's lips quirked imperceptibly as he simply raised a questioning eyebrow at Aragorn. After a second, the young man waved his hand through the air and rolled his eyes. "All right, stupid question, forget I ever asked. Of course you are sure." Aragorn raised the torch he was holding a little higher, letting her light shine down the corridor they were standing in. "Where does the sound come from?"

"From somewhere to our left." Legolas said, narrowing his eyes slightly. "And not that far away, either. I wonder why I have not heard it sooner."

Aragorn, already moving down the corridor, shrugged his shoulders, "These corridors are a maze, Legolas. Sounds are distorted and echo around the walls. Why, I guess you could shout at the one end of this corridor and not hear it at the other end."

Legolas only answer to that was a non committal sound. The thought that a scream would not be heard by anyone in this cave system was rather worrisome to him. With but a few quick steps he moved up to Aragorn, feeling his hand sneak out to grab a hold of the man's shirt and stopping in the last second. Maybe he did not like the darkness of the caves and the idea of being in a maze, far away from the sun, but he was a centuries old elf after all….he did not need to hold hands with Aragorn to feel safe. Well, not as long as the young ranger was right in front of him.

For some more, long minutes the two friends moved through the cave system, from now and then stopping to make out the direction the sound of water was coming from. Soon, Aragorn could make out the sounds, too, and after a few more minutes, the sound had gotten so loud that intense listening was no longer necessary.

They rounded a corner and walked down another corridor, when Legolas asked suddenly, "Estel, do you think it is getting brighter in here, too?"

Now that Legolas had said it, Aragorn saw it too. The corridor they were in was not as dark as it had been only moments prior, and with every step they took it seemed to become brighter. "Aye, it is. The light seemed to come from somewhere ahead of us."

"Interesting." Legolas commented, already dousing his torch. With his elven eyesight the place light that streamed into the corridor from some still unknown source at the end of the tunnel was enough to see by. "I wonder where the light comes from."

"I think we are going to find out soon." Aragorn said, peering down the corridor.

And that they were indeed. The corridor made a sharp bent to the left at its end, and the two friends had barely turned the corner when they stopped dead in their tracks. Aragorn's mouth went open in surprise, while Legolas's eyes widened in wonder, all thoughts of dark caves and white bats forgotten for the moment.

In front of them, a new world seemed to have opened. Instead of the dark, cramped hallways that the two friends had followed for most of the day, they gazed at a great cave, bathed in warm light. The cave spread to both sides and was wider than the Hall of Fire in the Last Homely House. The walls of the cave seemed to be studded with diamonds, for light was reflected from them, brightening the cave. Upon close inspection, though, the walls held neither diamonds nor Mithril, but were actually smooth as glass, so as if they had been smote by fire many centuries ago.

The light itself was coming from a crack in the room of the cave, a small opening that did not allow sight of the sky, but wide enough that sunlight filtered through it. Fed by the light, plants had grown in the cavern, and vines covered parts of the ground and the walls. But what was maybe the most impressing thing was the waterfall that rushed down into a clear pool at the other end of the cave, spraying the walls with tiny, shining water droplets. There was no river running out of the cave, showing that there must be an underground tunnel for the water to enter and then later escape from the pond.

For a moment, Legolas and Aragorn simply stood there, gazing in wonder at the scene in front of them. Neither of them had imagined that this place existed in these caves; there had been no records of it in the books Aragorn had read or the tales his brother had told him.

Finally, Legolas shook his head slightly, "This is amazing."

Nodding, Aragorn answered, "Unbelievable." He doused his torch in the pond, then turned around his axis to gaze at the whole cave. "How long does this cave already exist? And has anybody ever been here before us, right where we stand now?"

"I don't know, Estel." Legolas said, "but this place is beautiful." He took a few steps into the cave and let his fingers glide across the smooth walls, wondering what had happened to turn the stone into smooth glass. "And mysterious." He added softly, his eyes full of wonder.

Fascinated, Legolas and Aragorn stayed in the cave for a long time, exploring it. When the light in the cave slowly became dimmer, Legolas lifted his head to the crack in the roof, "The day in waning and night will soon be upon us."

Frowning, Aragorn gazed at the crack as well. "Night? So soon? We cannot have been in here for so long, Legolas. Are you certain?"

"The light of the sun gets dimmer. What else could cause this but the shadow of night?" But there was a small hesitation in Legolas's voice. He had always had a very good feeling of time, even for an elf, and his inner clock told him that it was maybe late afternoon, but not night yet. Still, the sunlight that filtered in through the crack became softer by the minute, and soon it would be gone completely.

"Maybe the sun has sunken behind the cliff walls or some trees." Aragorn said, already reaching for the torches they had abandoned earlier. With skilled movements he created a spark from stone and flint, lightening the torches. After a moment of indecision, he wedged them in gaps in the walls of the cave, one to the left and one to the right of the entrance.

"What now, Legolas. Shall we leave?"

"It took us more than half of the day to reach this cave." Legolas frowned, seemed to think hard, and then came to a decision. "We should stay here tonight and leave tomorrow. We have enough provisions to last us till we leave again."

"Alright." Aragorn said, then gazed around the cave. "I don't feel tired at all. What are we supposed to do now? Simply wait till it is time to rest?"

Slowly, very very slowly, the corners of Legolas's lips turned upwards. He eyes Aragorn silently, causing the young man to ask apprehensively, "What?"

"I was just thinking," Legolas said, coming closer to the man, "don't you feel dusty from the journey through these caves, too?"

"Dusty?" Aragorn asked, looking down at his clothing. "No, not really. Why?"

Stepping up to Aragorn, Legolas shook his head with a smile. Leaning closer, he brushed his lips gently against Aragorn's, kissing him sweetly. His hands caressed down the man's back, and he whispered into his ear, "Why? Because there is a pond of clear water just waiting for us to sink down into its depths, cooling our heated, tense bodies."

A comprehending "Oh" was all Aragorn said, before he let Legolas lead him to the pool of clear water.

To be continued


	4. Darkness

Chapter 4: Darkness

The water that trickled slowly down his back from his wet hair felt wonderfully cool on his hot skin, and Aragorn sighed blissfully. With his eyes closed and his cheek resting on Legolas's shoulder, his arms were encircling the elf's body. Only a few minutes ago he had groaned his pleasure into the elf's ear, shuddering uncontrollably while Legolas had gripped his hips tightly, finding his own release shortly after him. Now, sated, tired and relaxed, Aragorn had no inclination to move. At all.

With every breath Legolas took, his chest rose slightly, slowly but surely lulling Aragorn to sleep. The day had been long, and their love making had been slow and sensual, for they had taken all the time in the world, knowing that no one would bother them here.

By now, the light in the cave had completely vanished, and the flickering fire of the torches was the only source of light left. Not that it bothered any of them. Legolas elvish glow was still radiant enough to bath the water in light blue light, giving it the appearance of liquid ice. The elf was still holding Aragorn in his arm, kissing him gently now and then, like he used to do.

A few more minutes passed, and Aragorn just felt himself dose off, when Legolas moved his hand out of the water and up his back. Icy water trickled down his now cool skin, waking Aragorn instantly and making him jump slightly. Almost instantly, goose bumbs appeared on his skin. Instinctively, he snuggled closer to Legolas, seeking his warmth.

Fine, long fingers played with his hair for a moment, before Legolas's soft voice reached his ear, "Estel?"

"Hmm." He was tired and he really did not want to move. Legolas was soft and warm, and moving would cost too much energy right now.

"We should get out of the water, Estel. It is starting to get cold."

"Mh hm." Mumbling into Legolas's shoulder, Aragorn shook his head softly. His eyelids felt like lead and his limbs so heavy with the afterglow of their passion that he was not even sure if he could have moved had he wanted to.

"Estel?" Legolas gave him a kiss on the shoulder, but Aragorn did not move an inch. So, Legolas gave him a little push, then pushed a bit harder, but when that had no effect whatsoever, the elf sighed in defeat. "Alright then, have it your way."

He wound his arms tightly around Aragorn, and before the young man had realized what Legolas was up to, the elf got to his feet, and out of the water, carrying Aragorn with him easily. In but a few moments he had carried Aragorn to the place where they had placed their packs, setting him down onto his own two feet unceremoniously, but with care.

As soon as Aragorn's skin touched the cool air in the cave, he started to shiver. He wrapped his arms around his naked chest, rubbing them vigorously. With water dripping from his dark locks and goose bumps on his arms and legs, he looked at Legolas with those big grey eyes of his, a small pout forming on his lips.

It took all of Legolas self control to not walk up to Aragorn, take him in his arm, rush back to the lake and start all over again. But, he knew that the water of the lake must be cold for a human; too cold after spending so much energy as Aragorn must surely have during their activities.

With quick movements, Legolas picked up their discarded clothing and shrugged into his tunic, before he held out Aragorn's shirt and leggings to him. With a small pout the man took them and began to shrug into them, all the while trembling slightly. When they were fully clothed again, they rolled out their blankets and settled down side by side. One of the torched had extinguished by now, but they did not bother to light a new one. They had not brought enough to last them a whole night and the way back; they would have to sleep in the dark tonight once the other torch died, too.

Cuddling close to Legolas, who wrapped and arm around him, Aragorn felt himself warm up slowly. Truly, he had been cold, but he would not admit that to Legolas, now would he? He had been perfectly fine as long as they had been in the water, after all.

But with the warmth returning to his body, his tiredness returned as well. A huge yawn split his face, and a moment later his eyelids slid shut. Snuggling closer to Legolas, he rested his head on the elf's shoulder, feeling incredibly tired. A moment later, his breath evened out and became deeper, indicating sleep.

Smiling slightly at the sleeping man at his side, Legolas tucked a dark strand of hair behind Aragorn's ear. His elven glow slowly receded, and after but a few minutes, he too, wandered off to elvish dreams. Neither of them saw the orange glow of the candle sputter and then die, and neither did they hear the ominous rumble that echoed through the cave.

Late that night, Legolas was woken by Aragorn, who sifted restlessly beside him. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Legolas gazed at the young man, a frown marring his features. Aragorn's head turning from side to side, while his whole body seemed tensed and poised to either fight or flee. While Legolas watched, Aragorn turned onto his back, his face a mask of fear. Words bubbled from his mouth, to soft to understand at first, but a moment later the young man whimpered, shuddering, "No, don't…please don't!"

With a pang of dread Legolas realized that Aragorn must have another nightmare, a stronger one this time than yesterday. He did not know why his friend had to visit the past so many nights, why his mind was forcing so much pain onto him, but it hurt him to see the otherwise strong man helplessly caught in his own mind. And, Legolas reminded himself when Aragorn shook his head in his sleep, he had vowed that he would make the nightmares stop.

With a determined look on his face, Legolas sat up and reached out, shaking Aragorn's shoulder. Instead of waking, Aragorn merely whimpered again, trying to get away from the touch. Shaking harder, Legolas called Aragorn's name, and a moment later he felt the man tense under his fingers, before grey eyes opened to stare at him.

"No!" Aragorn yelled, pulling away from Legolas, stark fear in his eyes. He skittered away from Legolas on hands and feet, until his back hit the wall of the cave. "Please don't. I don't want to….please don't…." There was a pleading note to his voice, mixed with a small hick of fear.

Legolas was confused, and he did not understand why Aragorn was shying away from him. But then he looked at his friend again, and realization hit him like a troll's club. The torch had extinguished and it was pith black in the cave. His own elvish glow was giving up only minimal light, seeing that he had just woken from sleep. And Aragorn, waking from sleep, must have thought that he had woken up in his nightmare; that Legolas was the one who had done this to him…

Pity tugged at his heart, as well as anger at the one who had done this, but Legolas suppressed the latter feeling and concentrated instead on the first. He concentrated for a moment and let his own inner glow brighten his features. Then, he slowly moved towards the young man, who was cowering against the wall with his knees drawn up to his chest and his arms wrapped around them.

"Estel? It is I, Legolas. I will not hurt you."

Slowly, Aragorn's wide eyes locked on Legolas, and after a moment the fear vanished from them, to be replaced by relief. "L-Legolas? For a moment I thought you were…" Aragorn broke off, averting his gaze from Legolas. He bowed his head, clearly ashamed of his nightmare and subsequent actions.

After what had happened in spring, Legolas and Aragorn had talked a lot about their relationship and about trust, but they had not long dwelled on the things that had happened. Of course, Legolas had apologized for the fact that he had not listened to Aragorn, had not believed him, but they had not spoken about what had truly happened to the young man. About what might have happened.

Legolas knew that Aragorn had not yet come to terms with it, as his frequent nightmares showed, and he began to fear that he had waited too long to get the man to talk. He did not know whether right now was the right time and place, but one look at the distraught man in from of him was all it needed to convince the elf that now was as good a time as any.

Sitting down in front of Aragorn, Legolas placed a hand on his knee. "Estel? Are you alright now?"

A nod was the only reply he got, and so Legolas added softly, "Do you want to talk about it?"

As he had anticipated, Aragorn shook his head, avoiding eye contact.

"Maybe you should. You cannot go on like this, and you know it, Estel." Legolas squeezed the young man's knee gently. "You know you can tell me anything. I will not go away."

Legolas waited another few moments, and just when he thought that Aragorn would not talk to him, the young ranger's soft voice reached his ears.

"I dream about it almost every night. It always starts the same way. I'm back in my room at home, preparing to go down to dinner. A knock at the door, I bid the person to enter and then…then _he_ comes and then…" Aragorn's voice broke and he shook his head miserably.

Having never been in a situation like this before, Legolas was not sure what to say or do, but he knew that Aragorn had to talk about his nightmares to come start the healing process. So, he encouraged softly, "And then, Estel?"

Without looking at Legolas, but rather talking to his knees, Aragorn said softly, "It varies. But it always ends the same way." His voice died down to a whisper, "He … he forces himself upon me and then he…Legolas please, don't make say it." Aragorn pleaded, trembling slightly.

It nearly broke Legolas's heart to say the next words, and he hoped that he was doing the right thing. "No, Estel, not this time. I want you to say it. Tell me." Softly he added, "It will help."

Aragorn tensed and swallowed convulsively. His breathing hitched and he buried his head deeper into his arms. Legolas began to doubt whether he was really doing the right, whether forcing his friend to relive these horrible dreams would help him heal. When Aragorn began to speak, slowly and in barely a whisper, Legolas felt his heart leap out to the young man.

"He kisses me and he touches me. He is strong and on top of me; I cannot run, cannot flee. I'm caught and he knows it, it spurs him on, I can see in his eyes that he likes it that way. He…he begins to open his pants and then…then mine and he…he touches me." Aragorn swallowed thickly, but he went on nevertheless, "And then he…he abuses me. And I can't do anything to stop him." Tears began to roll down his cheeks, and Aragorn did not even attempt to roll the away. "When he is finished he stands up, ties his pants and looks down on me, and still I can't move. He turns away to the door and I feel relief because he goes away. He reaches the door, but instead of leaving he turns the key and locks the door." Aragorn's voice hitches and a sob escaped his lips. His voice was so soft now that Legolas had to strain his ears to hear the next words. "And then he comes back and does it again…and again. And no one can stop him."

With those words, Aragorn buried his face in his hands, sobbing uncontrollably now. His whole body was trembling, rocking back and forth in the darkness of the cave.

There were so many things that Legolas wanted to say, so much he wanted Aragorn to know, but his lips simply would not find the words. So, he simply wrapped his arms around his lover's shoulders, hugged him and held him close while he wept.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

Elrond gazed at the sky, a small line of worry marring his ageless features. It was almost unnoticeable, but the elves who knew him well could tell that something was bothering the elf Lord, something important enough to wake him from his sleep at the crack of dawn. Elrond's long fingered hands rested on the marble railing of the balcony in front of him, and his robes moved gently in the wind. A wind that seemed to get stronger with the hour.

Wise, grey eyes scanned the sky, taking in the patches of bright blue and the fluffy white clouds. But, when they came to rest on the thicker, grey clouds that had moved up from behind the cliff walls in the night and now covered most of the sky above the valley, the line of worry in his face deepened. The wind smelled of rain and, Elrond could feel the tension that was building in the air. A storm was brewing, and he knew that it would be a wild one.

Absentmindedly Elrond's finger began to play with the ring on his finger, swirling it slowly. So many years now he was carrier of this special ring, given to him from a true friend, a mighty elf of old. So far, Elrond had not used the powerful ring openly, instead hiding it from prying eyes and channeling its power. He knew, without it Imladris would long have fallen into shadow, but its power must be used is tiny dosages. If at all. Still, Elrond knew that he would not hesitate to use it should the valley and all its inhabitants be threatened. He only hoped that it would never get that far.

With another long look at the building clouds in the sky, the Lord of Imladris turned around and walked slowly inside. When a breeze made his robes billow around his ankles, he sighed. If only his son and Legolas were back already…

To be continued


	5. Warnings

**Hello! I am sorry for the delay in posting this chapter. Well, a reviewer said that I should give this story a T rating. I am not sure whether this is warranted. The LOTR fandom is used to very gruel stories that only have a K+ rating, after all. And the last time I gave a story a T rating I was accused of just trying to get more reviews that way. So, I am a bit confused now. What do you think? Does this story warrant a higher rating so far? Let me know, please. Thank you all! Have fun reading!**

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Chapter 5: Warnings

Legolas was not sure what had woken him, but he felt himself slowly leaving the land of elvish dreams and returning to the waking world. Yawning, he blinked his eyes. It was still dark in the cave, the only light now coming from his own soft glow. After a moment of staring around in the dark, Legolas yawned again, then looked beside him. A small line of worry creased his handsome features.

With worry tightening his stomach, Legolas turned his head and looked down at the sleeping man in his arms. Aragorn's head was resting on his shoulder, dark locks falling across his face. Even in the dark of the cave Legolas could tell that Aragorn was paler than usual and already dark circles had formed under his eyes, proof of little sleep. Sighing deeply, Legolas reached out and gently stroked the stray strands of hair away. Immediately Aragorn shifted closer to him, a frown appearing on his face, but he did not wake. Sighing once more, Legolas placed a kiss on the man's forehead, hoping that the nightmares would not return. They had done enough damage already.

After spending more tears than Legolas had thought such a young human could posses, Aragorn had fallen asleep in his arm, clearly exhausted. There had been no more bad dreams that night, for which Legolas was very grateful. He did not know whether he would have been able to calm Aragorn down once more. The first time had been bad enough. He only hoped that now, after Aragorn had confessed in him, the man would be able to overcome the horrid things he had experienced and the healing would begin. Legolas feared that it would take a very long time until Aragorn was ready to truly face what might have nearly happened to him. And he also knew that, for as long as the elf who had done this to him was not caught, Aragorn would probably never find rest.

Legolas tried to get back to sleep, but after half an hour of fruitless attempts to empty his mind and wander off to elvish sleep, he shook his head in frustration. He listened inside his body for a moment, finding that he was not tired at all. But the cave was still dark, indicating night. So, Legolas shifted into a slightly more comfortable position, closing his eyes this time. There was nothing to see, anyway. Aragorn's deep and rhythmical breaths next to him should have made him at least doze off, but not this time. With every minute that Legolas lay in the cave, trying to find sleep, it evaded him and he felt more awake with every breath he took. Of course, that could have to do with the fact that he was in a dark cave, under the ground, with no light at all. Not that he was afraid of the dark….

Just when he had resigned himself to the fact that he would simply have to stay awake and wait until Aragorn woke as well, two things happened at once. His keen ears detected some distant rumbling, as if something deep down in the earth had growled, and then the ground shook ever so slightly. From one minute to the next, Legolas's heart raced and adrenalin shoot through his veins. But, he lay absolutely still, not moving a muscle, not even daring to breathe. Maybe he _had_ dozed off and was imagining things…

But then it happened again. A rumble in the distance, before the ground shook ever so slightly. A small stone bounced down the side of the cave and landed with a soft 'blub' in the lake. As if the sound had been a trigger, Legolas felt his hands get sweaty and his heart double its pace. Numerous thoughts raced through his mind, one chasing the other. He was in a cave…under the earth…there was no light…something happened outside, maybe a rockslide…he would be caught….trapped…helpless and alone….

Alone….no, he was not alone. Aragorn was with him! Feeling a rush of relief and worry at the same time surge through him, Legolas turned and shook Aragorn, waking him. The man opened his eyes and looked around, clearly confused. His voice was thick with sleep.

"Legolas? What is it?"

"We have to go, now!" Legolas said without preamble, already extricating himself from under the ranger and getting to his feet.

"What? Why?" Aragorn asked, sitting up slowly and rubbing his eyes. He blinked a few times owlishly, before he rubbed his chin. While Legolas hastened around the cave to grab their belongings, using the little light he produced to see by, Aragorn tried to become fully awake. "What is the matter Legolas? Why are you awake in the middle of the night?"

One of their packs in his hand and his eyes searching for the other, Legolas whispered, "Can't you hear it? Or feel it Estel? Something is amiss! We have to leave, now!"

"Amiss?" Yawning, Aragorn looked around in the dark. "I see nuuuuuuuuuthing." He yawned again and swiped a hand through his hair that made it look as if something had nested in there.

"You cannot see it, Estel, but believe me, we have to leave right now." There was a nervous tinge in Legolas's voice. Scampering around the cave, he collected their things and stuffed them haphazardly into the packs, before he threw one of them at Aragorn.

Catching the pack with a definitive 'oef' sound, Aragorn opened his mouth to protest, when a deep rumbling filled the cave. A moment later, the ground shook slightly, making the water in the lake lap lazily at the rocky shore.

Eyes wide in the dark, Aragorn stared at Legolas, "Please tell me that was your stomach."

"Get up, Estel. Come one, let us leave." Panic had replaced the worry in the elf's voice, and before Aragorn knew what happened, Legolas grabbed him by the arm and pulled him to his feet. He quickly rolled up the sleeping mats and stuffed them in his pack, before he hastened to the opening of the cave. "Come on!"

"Legolas, wait!" Aragorn called after his friend. Although he was wide awake now, he had problems orientating. It was dark in the cave, and his human eyesight did not allow him to see as good as Legolas obviously could. "I need a torch."

With but a few steps Aragorn made it to the cave wall and then alongside it towards the place where they had wedged the burned out torches into the wall and stacked the other ones. Flint and stone were harder to find in the dark, and Aragorn cursed softly under his breath when the torch would not light immediately. Beside him, Legolas shifted from one foot to the other, clearly wanting to leave. When the torch would not catch fire after the fifth try, Legolas snapped, "It is not that difficult Estel. Let me." And with nimble fingers he took the flint and stone away, clicked them together, ignited a spark and lit the torch at the second try. Without ceremony Legolas pushed the burning torch into Aragorn's hands, before he turned on the heel and stormed out of the cave.

Just in that moment another deep growl echoed through the cave, and instead of reprimanding Legolas for his rudeness, Aragorn shut his mouth, shouldered his pack and hastened after his friend.

Legolas could feel his heart beating sharply against his ribs and his blood rushed in his ears, while his stomach felt as if he had not eaten for many days. There had been few situations in which he had felt panicky, but with every rumble that echoed through the cave system, he felt himself slipping nearer to a full blown panic. While he hastened through the corridors, he barely looked at the scrapes of white chalk that he and Aragorn had left on the walls the day before to find their way back. The only thought that was on his mind was to get out.

Most prominent on his mind was the thought that something had happened to make the cave instable. Everywhere he meant to hear rolling stones and grinding rocks. The closeness of the cave walls made him feel claustrophobic and before he knew it, he was running full out, his long legs carrying him down the corridors towards the exit.

"Legolas! Wait!"

Aragorn, being human and therefore naturally slower than Legolas and impeded by his eyesight, had trouble to follow the nimble and panic driven elf. When he saw that Legolas was running pell-mell down the corridor, his heart lurched in his chest. He, too, heard and felt the rumbling, and although he did not know what it meant, he knew that it could be nothing good. The thought of being alone here in the caves, with Legolas gone, made fear well up inside of him.

Panting, he held the torch higher but Legolas was nowhere to be seen. "Legolas! Wait for me!" He called, but there was no answer. With a soft curse to chase away his fear, Aragorn ran down the corridor, hoping to find his friend waiting behind the next bend. Aragorn knew that the elf always felt uncomfortable in caves, as did most elves. He had feared that going on this bat hunt might trouble Legolas, but seeing that everything had seemed fine so far, he had not thought about it anymore. Until now, that was.

He rounded the next bent and just saw Legolas's golden head disappear around another curve in the corridor. Doubling his efforts, he chased after him. "Legooolaaas! For Varda's sake, wait!"

But Legolas did not wait. Panic was running through his veins like liquid fire, and he never even heard Aragorn call his name. Instincts were sometimes stronger than friendship and even love, causing Legolas to abandon the one person his heart probably cared more about than his own life. …………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Elladan!" Elrohir called his brother's name while he shoved his way through the many elves that bustled around in the yard in front of the stables. Somewhere to his right a horse neighed nervously, prancing on the spot.

"Here Dan! I'm over here!" Elladan stretched one of his long arms high into the air and waved it around until his brother had located him. Elrohir made his way over to his brother's side, and together they moved a few yards back into the shadow of the stables, looking around worriedly.

"Do you think we will be able to gather all the animals before the storm brakes?" Elrohir asked, tucking a strand of dark hair behind his ear that had come loose by the strong wind that blew across the yard.

Elladan shrugged and eyed the scene in front of him with a small frown. Since dawn half of the valley was busy in herding the sheep and pigs, the goats and cows into the stables and barns. Who was not busy with the farm animals was either collecting the horses to bring them into the stables or to secure roofs and houses; the whole valley was preparing for the mighty storm that was brewing.

A very strong wind blew across the valley, getting stronger by the hour. Already some older and weak trees had fallen, flower pots had been destroyed and a roof had been lifted off by the wind. Dark, ominous clouds spread across the sky, and a deep rumble to the East indicated the advance of lightning and thunder. Already the storm was bad, but they all knew that what they were experiencing now was merely the beginning. It would get much worse ere the day was over.

"We will do what we can as long as we have enough light." Elladan finally answered, gazing at the sky. "I doubt that even the thickest torch will burn in this storm."

Another gust of wind rushed across the yard, frightening the animals and bowling over some empty barrels. In the distance, a deep rumbling echoed off the cliffs. A streak of lightning illuminated the dark clouds for just a moment, turning them an eerie yellow.

"Do you think Estel and Legolas are alright?" It was Elrohir who asked, his voice betraying his worry.

A deep sigh left Elladan's lips, "I hope so. This storm is a monster. But I guess, if they stay near the caves, nothing will happen. The caves are deep and the rocks thick. Nothing will happen if they stay close to them and venture not too far away or too deep into them."

Another growl of thunder echoed across the yard, making a horse neigh and rear. In the next moment, Elladan and Elrohir were rushing to help the elves to calm the horse, all thoughts of Estel and Legolas forgotten for the moment.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

It was many hours later that Legolas stumbled around a corner, finally seeing light at the end of the corridor. His heart leapt in relief and with a burst of new energy, he rushed forwards and out into the forest. He ran for a few more yards until he stopped, hands resting on his knees, panting. On his flight out of the caves he had barely stopped, too scared that he would be trapped inside; only a few times he had taken the time to frantically search for the white chalk marks that lead the way.

After a few minutes in which he simply stood there, panting and resting, he lifted his head, straightened and looked around. The first thing he noticed was the strong wind that whipped his long hair around his head and tore at his clothing. A gust rushed against him, making him almost stagger backwards. Confused, Legolas took a good look around.

At first he thought that it was still night, so dark was it in the forest. But when his gaze travelled towards the sky, he saw that it was not so. Heavy, dark clouds completely covered the sky, turning it onto a deep gray mass that blocked out the sun. Small branches, twigs and needles flew through the air, and when Legolas searched for the remnants of their camp fire, he was surprised that merely the stones remained; all ashes and burned branches had been blown away.

While he stood there, confused and slightly disorientated, a deep but surprisingly loud thunder rolled across the sky, making the very air tremble. It was as if someone had lit a candle inside Legolas's head; form one moment to the next, everything made sense.

He had not woken in the middle of the night in the cave! There had been no light because the summer sun had been blocked by the clouds. That was why he had not felt tired at all. And the rumbling, that had been neither a cave in nor some unholy beast of Morgoth that lived in the deep, but the thunder that had echoed around the vast cave system.

Before he knew it, a small giggle left Legolas's lips. Nothing bad had happened! They had not been in danger of being trapped in the cave. They were save and whole and would have been had they stayed in the cave. Relief the seize of a mountain seemed to fall onto the elf's shoulders, and with a slightly crazy smile he turned around, saying, "Estel! There was no…."

But he stopped in mid sentence when he turned around and Estel was not there. Again, it took only the fraction of a second for his mind to realize what had happened. In his panic he had not paid attention to the ranger, and he knew that he had run way too fast for the man to follow him. Worry seized him anew, and with a shout he sprinted back to the opening of the cave.

"ESTEL!"

To be continued.


	6. Fear

**Chapter 6: Fear**

With shaking fingers Aragorn ignited his last torch at the dying old one. For hours he had walked through the tunnels of the cave system, running whenever he had enough energy to spare. More than once he had lost his way in the dark and had to double back to search for the chalk marks that led the way outside. But now, he was tired, sweaty and spotted some scratches and bruises from where he had collided with the cave walls in his hurry to follow Legolas.

Legolas…Whenever Aragorn thought of the elf, his stomach churned painfully. What if Legolas, in his haste to get out, had lost his way and was now hurrying through the dark caves all alone? And what if Legolas was outside already and had in his panic left for the Last Homely House without him? And what was producing the noises and the rumbling? Had the cave gotten instable and maybe…maybe even collapsed on Legolas?

Aragorn hastened his steps once more, holding the torch high so that its light illuminated the walls of the tunnel. Reaching a fork in the passage, he stopped for barely a second before he turned right, following the white scratch of chalk on the wall. A few steps later he had to stop once more as the tunnel opened in three different directions. Turning around, he held the torch high, trying to find the white mark that would show him the way. When he could not see it immediately, he bit his bottom lip. Where was the mark?

Turning once more, Aragorn hastened to the wall and trailed his fingers across the rough stone. After a few moments of desperate searching, he finally saw the small white line that showed him that he and Legolas had come that way the day before. With a shaky sigh of relief, he grabbed the torch tighter and moved on.

While he hastened through the tunnels, always searching for the white lines on the dark stone, the rumbling continued to shake the cave system. And, it seemed to get louder and took longer to vanish. Aragorn did not know what was making these sounds, but his feeling told him that it was nothing good. He only hoped that Legolas, in his haste to reach the exit, had not gone the wrong way and was now lost in the caves.

After another two hours of rushing through the caves, the torch he was carrying was slowly but surely dying. Already the flames flickered unsteadily, and Aragorn knew that the torch would not burn for much longer. He took another turn, willing his tired legs to carry him on. The adrenalin that had enabled him to hasten after Legolas had subsided long ago, and his legs felt heavy and tired. Another white chalk mark told him to go right, and Aragorn wiped a hand across his sweaty forehead.

A few minutes later the only warning Aragorn got that something was wrong, was the soft sputter of the flame, and then almost complete darkness descended upon him. His last torch had burned out.

For a moment, Aragorn simply stood in the darkness, breathing heavily. With the darkness, the sound seemed to have been affected, too. His breathing sounded loud in his ears. Slowly, he let his hand sink to his side. The torch landed with a clatter on the ground, echoing off the walls.

Numerous thoughts raced through Aragorn's mind. He was alone in a vast cave system with no source of light whatsoever. He knew he had come a good ways already and the exit had to be near. But, how was he supposed to find it in the complete darkness? The white chalk marks had been his only help, and even that had been taken away from him. He could go on, yes, and hope that he found the exit by sheer luck. But, what if he did not? Would venturing into the caves not mean that he would get lost? And what if Legolas came searching for him? Or his brothers? Aragorn was sure that they would eventually find him, the question was when.

Aragorn took a deep breath to steady himself. So, he had two options, basically. Stay where he was and wait until someone came looking for him, or go on. Neither of the two options inspired any warm feelings inside of him. He had not yet decided what to do, when a loud, booming thunder seemed to roll through the caves. Without hesitation, Aragorn reached out, touched the nearest wall and moved on.

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Legolas was nervous. The sky above him had turned an even darker shade of grey, with tinges of green and yellow. Thunder was booming in the distance and it was coming closer to his position. The wind had picked up as well and was blowing branches, needles and dry leaves everywhere; it seemed to come from every direction at once.

He was not sure how much time had passed since he had left the caves, but with every minute that went by, he became more nervous. Estel was still in there, caught in the vast tunnel system, unknowing what was going on outside. Numerous horrible scenarios flashed before Legolas's eyes, one more terrible than the other. What if Estel got lost and would not find the way out? What if his torches burned out before he found the exit? What if the booming thunder that shook the ground caused the caves to collapse?

Another thunder shook the forest, causing Legolas to wince. By now it was so loud that it hurt his ears. His gaze found the opening of the cave, hoping to see the flicker of a torch, but all he saw was complete darkness. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, twisting his long fingered hands. He was afraid to enter the caves and his angst was strong. Already his body was shaking slightly at the thought of entering the dark caves again. He knew, on an intellectual basis that the chances that there was a collapse were slim, but his heart was thundering so loudly in his chest that he was amazed that he would not hear it.

A rush of wind blew his long hair into his face, obscuring his sight. When he could see again, Legolas bit his bottom lip and made a decision. Estel was in the caves and he needed his help. Bracing his shoulders, Legolas swallowed and entered the caves to find his friend.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

Aragorn's hands scraped along the walls, looking for the next turn. He had been walking through the darkness for almost an hour now. With his harsh breathing and the rolling thunder as the only sounds he could hear, his mind had started to play tricks on him almost immediately. Every now and then he meant to hear sounds behind him, but when he turned and looked he saw nothing but darkness. It was cold in the caves, but for some time now he meant to feel a cold wind blew down his neck. After a time, he had stopped turning around.

His sweaty hands found another gap in the wall, indicating a tunnel. For a moment Aragorn hesitated, unsure if he should follow it. There was no way for him to find out if he was following the right corridor or not. So, he took his chances and moved onwards, following the new tunnel.

It did not take his imagination long to show him specks of light in the darkness. Grey shaped that stood at the end of the tunnel or hide in niches along the wall. Aragorn could see them out of the corner of his eyes, but they vanished as soon as he focused on them. And then the sounds began…silent at first, only a hush in the darkness. But then, Aragorn imagined to hear soft footfalls behind him, following him in the darkness. Somewhere deep down he knew that he was alone in the caves, that there was no one following him. But that knowledge did not help to slow down his rapid breathing or his racing heart. He wanted to leave this place, he wanted to see the light again, he wanted to go home, and most of all, he wanted Legolas.

On and on he walked, taking turns and moving down corridors. He knew that he could not be that far away from the exit, even if he had taken some wrong turns here and there. And it happened. A deep and loud growl echoed through the caves, causing some smaller pebbles to roll down the walls. Aragorn stopped in his tracks, holding his breath to listen. And then, somewhere behind him, a soft screeching filled the corridor and in the next moment, something soft brushed his hair.

A shudder raced through him, paralyzing him. For a tiny, horrible moment he was transported back into the forest close to his home, where Lithdal had cornered him. He meant to feel the elf's hands on his face again, the fingers caressing his hair. A great shudder made his body tremble and sweat appeared on his brow. From one second to the next, Aragorn's mind was swarmed with pictures of Lithdal, his icy eyes, the pale complexion, the long fingers, the strong hands that Aragorn could not shake off and his leering smile.

Panic seemed to crash over him like a wave. None of the patrols had found any sign of Lithdal, had they not? No one knew where the elf was, or if he had ever left the valley. What if the patrols had not found Lithdal because he had hid in these caves? What if Lithdal was still here? Maybe the footsteps Aragorn had heard were no fragment of his livid imagination. What if Lithdal was still after him?

A small whimper left Aragorn's lips. With his heart beating so fast against his ribs that it hurt, he reached out and stumbled onwards. He needed to get out, he needed to get away from here! He walked a few steps, but then his feet began running.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

Legolas walked through the vast tunnels, hoping to find a trace of Aragorn. He followed the white markings, but he also listened hard. If Aragorn had taken a wrong turn, he would perhaps be able to hear him. But, Legolas did not want to let fate take over completely. Now and then he called Aragorn's name, hoping that the man would hear him.

Turning a corner, Legolas made his way down another tunnel. So far he had not seen or heard anything unusual. "ESTEL!" He called again, but silence was his only answer. A booming thunder rolled through the caves, making the ground tremble slightly under his feet. Legolas stopped and waited until it was over, then moved on. He hated being in the dark caves. But he realized that it must be even harder for Aragorn, who did not yet know that the grumbling noises were just thunder and not a cave in.

Legolas went deeper and further, listening and calling Aragorn's name from time to time. He had just rounded another corner and entered a corridor, when another booming thunder echoed off the walls, making smaller stones and sand rain to the ground. Legolas skidded to a halt, his breathing fast. He waited until the thunder had gone and then moved onwards. Suddenly, his keen hearing picked up a faint sound, almost like wings. He narrowed his eyes and stared into the darkness. The sounds got louder and a moment later something soft brushed his hair and face.

Yelping, Legolas flung his arms over his head and crouched down. A moment later he chastised himself for his jumpiness. A swarm of small bats rushed through the tunnel, obviously woken by the thunder. After a minute or so the last animal flew past and Legolas got to his feet. Shaking his head slightly, Legolas moved on. At least he now knew that bats did indeed live in these caves, if not white ones.

He walked a few yards down the corridor, when his ears suddenly detected another sound. Standing still, Legolas concentrated to listen. There it was again, faint and first, but getting clearer. Running footsteps!

Eyes widening, Legolas called out "ESTEL! Can you hear me?"

He got no answer. With renewed energy Legolas moved down the dark tunnel, listening. The sounds were coming from his right, out of a tunnel that had no white marking. Legolas realized that Aragorn must have taken a wrong turn somewhere, which could only mean that the young ranger had no more torches. Otherwise he would never have taken a wrong turn, Legolas was sure of that.

Hastening on, Legolas entered a new corridor. He could hear the footsteps loud and clear now. And what was more, they were coming in his direction. "ESTEL!" He called again, hoping that the man would hear him and follow his voice.

Legolas again got no answer. He moved down the corridor quickly. The footsteps were so loud now that Legolas was sure he would see Aragorn any moment now. His keen eyes could make out a bend in the tunnel some yards away. The sounds were coming from that direction, as well. Aragorn had to be right behind the bend.

Legolas's heart beat fast in his chest and he rushed to the bend. He reached it just in the same moment Aragorn did. They collided heavily and tumbled to the ground, arms and legs interwoven. Aragorn landed on Legolas, having not been able to see the elf in the dark. Legolas got only a glimpse at Aragorn face; pale and scared, with wide eyes.

"Estel!" Legolas said, taking a hold of Aragorn's shoulders. "I found you!"

Instead of the relieved exclamation that Legolas had anticipated, Aragorn jerked his body away and tried to get away from him. "Get away from me!" He yelled, climbing to his feet and backing away until his back hit a wall. Legolas saw that the man's eyes were wide, darting around in the darkness. His skin was pale and sweat stood on his brow. There was such a stark fear in his eyes as Legolas had never seen before.

"Estel?" Getting to his feet, Legolas moved in front of Aragorn and placed his hand on the man's shoulder. The reaction was instantaneous. Aragorn jerked and pulled away, lashing out at the air.

"Don't." Aragorn said, his voice quivering with fear.

In that moment, Legolas was vividly reminded of a scared animal, and he remembered the scene of the previous night. Did Aragorn think that he was Lithdal? Legolas did not know, but he said gently, "Estel, it is I, Legolas."

"Get away." Aragorn said, trying to move sideways away from Legolas. He shifted and then turned and ran down the corridor, always close to the wall to find his way.

"Estel, wait!"

Legolas quickly chased after the man, afraid that he would hurt himself in the dark. With but a few long strides Legolas caught up to Aragorn. Without thinking he wrapped his arms around Aragorn's middle, stopping his flight.

Aragorn yelped and then tried to wriggle out of the grip. "Let go! Let me!"

But instead of letting go, Legolas held him even tighter and pressed him to his chest. "Estel it is I, Legolas. Legolas. I won't hurt you."

At first nothing happened and Legolas repeated his words. And then suddenly, Aragorn stopped fighting the hold. Breathing heavily, he asked weakly. "L-Legolas?"

"Aye, it is I, Estel. I am sorry I left you. So sorry." Legolas slowly eased his hold on the man, but he did not let go completely. He felt immensely guilty that he had left Aragorn alone in the caves. He had no excuse for his actions, and seeing what it had done to the young human, he felt like the worst elf ever.

"Not your fault." Aragorn said softly, straightening up and turning around to face Legolas. His eyes did not connect with Legolas's due to the darkness. "I should have known that you would not be able to stand the darkness."

"No, Estel. I am sorry." Legolas said. Here he was, having left Aragorn all alone in the caves, without so much as a torch, and the man was taking the blame. It was unbearable to Legolas. "Estel, I am so sorry I left you. I cannot…I will not…." Legolas could not find the words that would explain his actions. So, he simply hugged Aragorn close. "I'm sorry."

Aragorn nodded, "Can we leave now?"

"Yes, let us leave."

Without another word the two left the caves. But both knew that there were many things yet unsaid that needed addressing as soon as they had exited the caves. And neither of them were looking forwards to them.

To be continued.


	7. Choice

**Beta:** Firith-Tindome

A/N: I want to thank everybody who reviewed. I am sorry that I cannot answer you all individually today. I hope you like this chapter. 

* * *

**Chapter 7: Choice**

Aragorn and Legolas exited the caves an hour later. They were both tired, sweaty and had to show some bruises for their efforts. But that did not matter, for they had escaped the darkness of the tunnels and corridors, as well as the pressing feeling of the stillness and the dark memories that lingered in the cave system.

Once outside, Aragorn gazed around in wonder. Legolas had told him about the storm and the thunder, but seeing leaves, branches and even small stones sail through the air, was something completely different than being told about it. By now, the dark was almost black, with green tinges. Thunder rolled almost minutely through the forest, a deep growling that made the earth quiver.

"And now?" Aragorn shouted in Legolas's direction, trying to be louder than the howling wind.

Legolas held his hair away from his face so as to be able to speak, "We can stay here or move to the Last Homely House."

Aragorn considered this for a moment. He wanted to leave this place and return home. Not only made the caves him uncomfortable, but if the storm would turn any worse, he wanted to be home to be able to help. Moving closer to Legolas, he shouted above the wind, "Let us go home!"

Legolas nodded in answer, for just in that moment another loud thunder boomed in the air. In the distance, lighting illuminated the sky. The air had turned colder, but still no rain was falling on the dry earth. When the worst of the thunder had vanished, Legolas asked loudly, "Which way do we take, then? Through the forest or over the plains?"

The way through the forest would be shorter by a few leagues, and the trees would provide them with some shelter should it begin to rain. The plains, however, would be saver, for there would be no danger of falling trees or branches. While Aragorn still contemplated their options, a gust of wind whipped past them. The gust was so strong that it nearly shoved him to the ground, and Aragorn quickly moved closer to the cave wall for protection. If the wind was so strong already in the forest, where it had to sneak past trees and boulders, how strong would it be on the open plains?

As if Legolas had been able to read his thoughts, he said, "The forest, then?"

Aragorn nodded, "The forest it is." And together they set off towards the Last Homely House and deeper into the forest. The sky above them growled loudly and in the distance, a white bolt of lightning split the clouds.

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Leagues away, Elrond stood on a balcony, high above the courtyard. The strong wind was whipping his long hair around his head and his robes billowed around his body. But the elf Lord did not care overly much. His gaze was turned East, towards the valley and the mountains. There, in the distance, the storm was approaching fast. Already he could feel the energy in the air and see the first bolts of lightning. Soon, he knew, the storm would break, and it would be terrible.

They had secured the dwellings, stables and bridges as best as they could, had taken the animals inside and brought the women and children into the stone houses to keep them sheltered. A large number of elves had found refuge in the Last Homely House itself, for their houses were either too close to the rivers to be safe or too old to withstand the storm for long. It were all precautionary measures, but Elrond had felt that they were necessary. What did he always tell his sons? Better safe than sorry….

His sons. Elrond thoughts turned to Elladan and Elrohir, who were still out there, helping the last elves to secure their houses. They would be home, soon, Elrond knew. But what about Aragorn and Legolas? Elrond felt his heart constrict in his chest. His son and the Prince were somewhere out there, in the storm. He hoped that they had found shelter somewhere, and that they would not be in the open when the storm finally broke loose. It would be suicide to be outside when it all began.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………...

They had barely travelled for two hours when Aragorn and Legolas realized that it had been a very stupid idea to return to the house. The storm was so fierce now that they could barely make themselves heard above the continuous thunder. Lightning struck repeatedly, and the storm seemed to have swallowed all the light. It could not be later than midday, but already it was as dark as in the evening. And the storm was worsening still.

Twigs and branches were flying through the air, making walking dangerous. A few minutes ago, Legolas had only narrowly avoided being hit by a thick branch by jumping to the side in the last minute. The trees around them groaned in the wind, flapping their branches and showering them in needles. And what was bad as well, was the fact that walking in this wind was sapping their strength. It felt as if they were walking in chest high water; for every step they took, they had to take half one back. The wind was fighting them every step of the way.

Panting, Aragorn grabbed a tree trunk to steady himself before he moved on. The wind showered him with leaves and twigs, but he did not notice it anymore. Legolas walked to his right and slightly in front of him. As an elf, he had fewer difficulties, but he was struggling all the same.

White light filled his vision and Aragorn closed his eyes, but it was already too late. When he opened his eyes, green dots danced in his vision. Thunder boomed right above them a few seconds later, showing them that the storm was right above them. It was as if he was travelling westwards with them.

For a few more minutes they moved through the forest, when suddenly a loud grown filled the air. At first Aragorn thought that it was the thunder, but instead of rolling across the sky and fading, the groaning did not cease. He stopped in his tracks and looked around, searching. There was debris sailing through the air everywhere. The forest ground seemed to have been swept clean; where needles, twigs and branches used to be, Aragorn could see the plain dark sand. It was creepy.

Concentrating on the groaning once more, Aragorn looked up at the towering trees. And as he did so, his eyes widened in fear. He had barely a second to register what it was he saw, before the large pine tree in front of him shuddered and then tilted to the side. Aragorn saw the roots break through the earth at the bottom, saw the branches come at him and hear the splintering of wood. Without so much as a thought, he threw himself to the side.

"ESTEL!" Legolas screamed, but his voice was drowned in the loud thump of the tree hitting the ground. Lighting lit the sky and thunder boomed overhead. The fallen tree gave another shudder, its branches trembling, then they laid still.

The impact with the ground knocked the air from Aragorn's lungs. Gulping air into them, he timidly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw where needle covered branches; they seemed to be everywhere around him. With sudden clarity Aragorn realized that he had not been fast enough to clear the falling tree. He had been buried under the branches. As if this knowledge was a trigger, he suddenly felt his body ache in different places, his back the most prominent at the moment.

Aragorn shifted, then winced at the pain that shot through his back. It felt as if he had been used as a hedgehog's pillow. He moved again, and when the pain got not worse, he sighed in relief. If a few abrasions and bruises were the worst he had received, he had been lucky. Digging his elbows into the ground, Aragorn began to extricate himself from the tree.

Over the wailing of the storm, he suddenly heard Legolas agitated voice. "Estel? ESTEL? Can you hear me? Estel!"

"I'm here, Legolas!" Aragorn called, pushing himself forwards. The branches of the fallen tree tugged at his hair and clothing, but then two hands gripped his forearms and pulled. In the next moment, he was out from under the tree and engulfed in a hug.

"Estel! I thought you had been crushed. Never, ever do something like that again." Legolas's relieved voice reached his ears, and Aragorn gave a small chuckle.

"I'm not planning on doing this again."

"Good." Legolas said, then got to his feet. He stretched a hand down to help Aragorn up. Taking the offered hand gratefully, Aragorn let himself be helped to his feet. But no sooner was he standing, did he topple against Legolas, crying out in pain. Legolas's arms wrapped around him and lowered him to the ground.

"What is it? Are you hurt?"

"My ankle." Aragorn ground out, clutching his left ankle with both hands. His face turned a shade paler, and his brow was creased in clear pain. "I think I strained it."

"Let me see." Legolas gently pushed Aragorn's hands out of the way. With slow movements he examined the ankle through the boot. He knew that the thin leather would have offered no protection against a fall, and sure enough, he could already feel the beginning of a severe swelling.

"I cannot tell whether it is broken, you would have to take your boot off for such an examination." Legolas said, crouching beside Aragorn. "In any case it is badly strained."

Breathing quicker due to the pain, Aragorn grimaced. He gazed at his ankle for a moment, then looked around him. The storm was still raging. He opened his mouth to speak, but Legolas cut him off before he had uttered a word.

"Maybe we should head back to the caves."

Aragorn shook his head, "No. If we keep going westwards through the forest we will reach the outskirts in a few hours and then it will only be a short ways home."

Legolas looked at Aragorn for a moment, indecision warring on his face. To track back would be saver and now that Aragorn was injured, they would have to take it slower. And if the storm got any worse….But before he could voice his thoughts, Aragorn placed his hand on Legolas's knee and looked up at him with those big grey eyes of his.

"Legolas, let us go on. I don't want to be stuck in the forest or the caves when the storm finally breaks."

After a moment, Legolas nodded. When the storm finally broke and the clouds released the masses of water that they held, the forest would turn into a quagmire, as would the surrounding fields. Traversing them would be nigh impossible. If they went back to the caves, they could get stuck there for days.

"Alright, we will go on."

"Then help me up, please. Let us leave here." Aragorn said and pushed himself off the ground.

Nodding, Legolas grabbed Aragorn under the pits of his arms and set him on his feet. Tentatively, Aragorn tried to put weight on his injured ankle, but the pain that shot through it was so fierce that he hissed and tilted sideways into Legolas. "I will not be able to walk on it, Legolas."

"Then I will help you." And with that said, Legolas unceremoniously took a hold of one of Aragorn's arm and draped him across his shoulder. Putting his other arm around Aragorn's middle, Legolas began to move.

They stumbled through the forest, evading falling branches and doing their best to walk in a straight line towards the Last Homely House. With all the wind, the lightning and the thunder, the forest had become a confusing maze of dark trees and obstacles. While the thunder rolled right above them, the air was still dry and no rain was falling. The absence of rain was worrying both of them. They had long enough lived in and near forests to know that such a storm was a true danger. If lightning struck in the wrong place…

An hour later, Legolas suddenly stopped in his tracks. Panting, he hoisted Aragorn up by his side a few inches. "Can you hear that?" He said, looking around the dark forest.

"Hear what?" Aragorn said loudly, looking around as well. He could hear nothing out of the ordinary and the pain in his ankle was driving most of his thoughts out of his mind anyway.

"There is something on the air." Legolas said, and he tilted his head to the side to listen. "Something sinister."

Aragorn's head perked up. "Orcs?"

"No, wait." Legolas shook his head and continued to listen. At first he lost the sound he had heard, but then it came again, clearer this time and getting nearer. It was a sound as if hundreds and hundreds of small feet were scrambling over the ground, running, actually. Legolas frowned, not sure what it was he was hearing.

A tug at his sleeve brought him out of his concentration. "Legolas, look!" There was a hitch in Aragorn's voice that caused Legolas to swivel his head around quickly. He gazed into the direction Aragorn was pointing in. He recognized it the moment he saw it. There was a red glow between the trees right in front of them. While they watched, the red glow spread to both sides.

"A fire." Legolas breathed, shocked. He had worried that it could happen, but he had so hoped that it would not.

"Lightning must have ignited the dry forest." Aragorn said, shifting his weight. He scanned the surrounding area quickly. "It is in front of us and to our right."

"Then let us go left and hurry." Legolas tightened his hold on Aragorn and quickly they moved on. Both of them knew that they had to move quickly to avoid being encircled by the flames. With all the wind and the dry underbrush, the fire would spread quickly. But they had barely gone a few yards when Legolas stopped once more. Aragorn needed not to ask why, he could see it for himself. Red flames were burning high in front of them, barring their path. Without a word, Legolas turned around to get back the way they had come. It was the only way of escape they had left.

But after half a mile, they saw that it was not to be. Red flames glowed between the trees and the crackling of fire surrounded them; a rather small brook flowing through the area they stood in seemed to offer any protection from the fire. They turned around in a circle, trying to find a way out, but wherever they looked the red gleam of hot flames met them. They were surrounded by a sea of fire.

While they watched the dancing flames, the crackling of the fire got steadily louder and thick grey smoke snaked around the trunks and the undergrowth. In a few minutes, the whole forest would be a mass of smoke, fire and heat.

"What shall we do now, Legolas?" Aragorn asked, his voice trembling.

"I….I don't know." Looking around, Legolas could see no way out of this situation. The flames burned high, and already it was so hot that his shirt clung to his sweaty body. Beside him, Aragorn coughed shallowly, his eyes already red from the smoke.

"If it would just start raining." Aragorn commented, looking up at the grey sky. Legolas followed his gaze, but when he looked at the sky, his eyes suddenly widened.

"Estel! The trees!" He exclaimed agitatedly.

"I know that they are burning, Legolas, but there is nothing we can do to save them."

"No, no! That is not what I mean." Legolas grabbed Aragorn's arm and locked his eyes with the man's. "We can climb the trees that have not yet caught fire and try to get out of here by walking on the branches until we find an area where the fire has already been. A fire never strikes a place twice, for there in nothing there to consume."

Coughing, Aragorn gazed up at the trees surrounding them. They were tall and their branches sturdy. He had no doubt that they would hold Legolas's weight or his own. For a tiny, glorious moment his heart lifted in hope…before it crashed down hard. Paling even more, he turned red eyes on Legolas.

"My ankle, Legolas. It will not hold my weight. I cannot climb out of here."

Shocked, Legolas looked down at Aragorn's swollen ankle, as if he had forgotten that the human had injured it and that he was not holding half of his weight to prevent him from toppling to the ground.

"I can help you, together we can…."

"No, Legolas." Shaking his head, Aragorn cut Legolas off. "My ankle does not even hold my weight while walking. I will never be able to climb a tree and jump from branch to branch. Even if my ankle was not hurt, it would be very difficult for me to do with all the heat and the smoke. No, Legolas." Aragorn looked Legolas deep in the eyes. "I cannot go, but you can. You can get out of here. Leave me and save yourself."

To be continued

**What do you think? Was that mean? Well maybe I will rescue them in the next chapter ... but only if you review. +evil grin+**


	8. Caught

Chapter 8: Caught

"_No, Legolas." Shaking his head, Aragorn cut Legolas off. "My ankle does not even hold my weight while walking. I will never be able to climb a tree and jump from branch to branch. Even if my ankle was not hurt, it would be very difficult for me to do that with all the heat and the smoke. No, Legolas." Aragorn looked Legolas deep in the eyes. "I cannot go, but you can. You can get out of here. Leave me and save yourself."_

Legolas looked at Aragorn with wide eyes, disbelieve flashing across his face. His lips moved, but no sound escaped them. His eyes reflected various emotions; horror, despair and a great amount of fear. Paling, Legolas looked around. Maybe for the first time since they had left the cave, he really took in their surroundings.

The trees around them burned brightly, as did the underbrush. Bright red flames seemed to leap up the trunks of the mighty old trees, devouring them with heat and smoke. All around them the forest burned and the sky was veiled by thick black smoke. Hot grey ash rained down on them, burning their clothing, hair and unprotected skin. Only a few trees were left untouched, but it would be enough for Legolas to escape this sea of flames. This deadly trap. But it would not be enough for Aragorn. With his injured ankle, Legolas knew that the man would never be able to escape.

A cold shudder went through Legolas's body and he felt his eyes water. This was not supposed to happen! This was so unfair. A gust of hot, dry wind rushed past him, making him cough from the smoke and lack of air. He could feel Aragorn tremble in his arms. Suddenly, Legolas's knees seemed to be unable to hold his weight any longer and the elf sank to the ground, taking Aragorn with him.

"Legolas?" Aragorn asked worriedly.

Legolas' head was bowed and his long blond hair hid his face from view, while his arms held tightly onto the young ranger. Another shudder raced through Legolas's body, and the elf lifted his head and turned to look at his friend. Red rimmed, despairing eyes locked with Aragorn's. Swallowing, Legolas took in the red rimmed eyes of the man, the pale face and the sooth and ash on his skin and clothing. There was so much devotion and at the same time hope and fear in Aragorn's eyes that Legolas felt his stomach tighten painfully. His voice was soft when he spoke,

"Estel…."

Despite the fact that he had told Legolas to go, Aragorn feared for one horrible, terrible moment that Legolas would indeed leave him. That the elf would escape this red death as he had bid him to do. He truly hoped that Legolas would save himself, but the thought of being left behind, of being left alone like he had been left alone in the cave, seemed unbearable. Unconsciously, he tightened his hold on the elf.

"Estel, I cannot leave you here alone. To die alone. I- I am sorry, but I cannot do as you ask." Legolas whispered, barely audible above the noise of the fire. "I have left you once behind, and I will never do so again." Tears filled his eyes. "That I promise."

In that moment, Aragorn felt his heart shatter to pieces and mend at the same instant. Legolas would not leave him to die alone. But, the elf would forsake his immortal life for nothing. Trying to do what was right, Aragorn shook his head and gripped Legolas's arm tightly.

"That is folly, Legolas, and you know it. Please, I bid you, go! You cannot save me."

Defiance entered Legolas's eyes, "I can try!"

"You will achieve nothing by staying but dying yourself, a fate that is not meant for the firstborn!" Aragorn pleaded, hoping that Legolas would indeed leave him.

"Estel please!" Legolas looked imploringly at the young man. "Can you not understand? I would rather die here with you, than….go on alone."

"Legolas…." Feeling the heat of the fire close in on them, Aragorn tried one last time to save his friend, "Do you think I would ever rest easy in Mandos' Halls, knowing that you threw your life away for me? I'm not worthy of such a sacrifice."

Legolas opened his mouth to respond, but whatever it was he wanted to say, he never got the chance. A loud _crack_ came from above them, and before Aragorn could react, Legolas threw himself forwards on top of Aragorn. They fell backwards to the ground, Legolas above Aragorn. Only a moment later, something heavy and thick crashed down on them, burying them in a shower of wood and sparks.

"Legolas!" Aragorn yelled, fighting to breathe despite the weight of the elf on his chest and the ash and smoke the filled his lungs. For a moment, all Aragorn could see were twigs and leaves and fire, and he began to panic slightly. "Legolas!"

When he got no answer, Aragorn groped around blindly above and around him. Smoldering twigs burned his fingers and hands, but he did not care. Legolas was still lying on top of him, but when Aragorn rolled slightly to the side, he could feel that Legolas was not moving. Now really feeling a panic rise inside his chest, Aragorn rolled out from under the elf. When his eyes took in the scene for the first time, he gasped in shock.

A huge, thick branch that had caught fire had crashed down on then, nearly burying them under it. Here and there the branch was still burning, other parts smoldering. Breathing heavily, Aragorn quickly rushed forwards again and heaved the branch off of Legolas, who had yet to stir.

"Legolas, mellon nin? Can you hear me?"

The elf did not move at all. Gently but with haste, Aragorn smoothed away the long blond strands of hair to better see Legolas's face. Shock tore through him when his fingers touched warm, red blood. It coated most of the hair on the back of Legolas's head and ran in a small rivulet down the elf's neck.

"Legolas?" Aragorn nearly sobbed, turning the elf's head to the side gently. "Please…."

But Legolas did not stir. In his attempt to save Aragorn, Legolas had thrown himself on top of Aragorn, protecting the man with his own body from the falling branch. Feeling despair in his heart, Aragorn cradled Legolas close and closed his eyes. Dark smoke filled the air around him and the fire was so near now that he could feel its heat enter his body.

By saving him, Legolas had made his choice, for there was no way that the elf would escape now. They were both caught in the flames. With no way out.

Aragorn could barely see the trees around him anymore, so thick was the smoke. His lungs hurt from the hot air he was breathing and his skin tightened painfully from the heat. He coughed deep in his lungs and gasped, but no matter what he did, he could not get enough air. The ash that rained down hurt him, and with every second that passed he knew that death was coming closer.

Minutes had gone by since Legolas had fallen unconscious, and the elf had shown no sign of waking. A part of Aragorn was glad that Legolas was unconscious and would therefore not feel the eventual bite of the flames. Maybe, Aragorn thought, the lack of air would kill them before the flames did; it would at least be more merciful.

While he watched the flames creep closer, a strange calm stole over him. He knew that there was nothing he could do, that no help would come, and that this was the day he would die. As a mortal among the elves, he had always felt his mortality keenly. Since he had been able to grasp the phenomenon of dying, he had known and accepted the fact that he would one day perish. But, never had he thought this day would come so quickly. Was he not of the Dunedain? And did Numenorean blood not promise a longer lifespan than other humans? What good was being of ancient blood, when the life was cut short by a fire? A tragedy?

While Aragorn waited for the inevitable, he realized – maybe for the first time – that even the life of the Dunedain where nothing more than a fragile thing. And that the life of a Firstborn was, too, not invincible, not immortal when faced with insurmountable odds. And when the storm howled around him, he cradled Legolas's close and placed a loving kiss on the elf's forehead, hoping that it would be over quickly.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………...

Elladan and Elrohir stood on a high balcony overlooking the valley, like most of the inhabitants of the Last Homely House did. The spectacle that the summer storm provided was exiting and horrible at the same moment, and none seemed to be able to withdraw his attention for long.

All above the valley the sky was a deep black, with streaks of green and yellow. Thunder and lightning filled the valley and the air was cracking with tension. The wind was so mighty that it might have blown the elves over, had it been but a tiny bit stronger. Twigs and leaves, sand and grime flew through the air, and the rivers and streams that flowed through the dale seemed angry and upset. The picture that presented itself was so unlike the haven that the elves knew that some feared the Valar did this to punish them.

A particular loud thunder cracked right above them, making the twins raise their heads quickly. The thunder rolled through the valley and it took long until it was gone completely. Turning his gaze back to the dale below him, Elladan shook his head, "All the damage this storm will cause. It will take us weeks to repair the fences and houses."

Beside him, Elrohir rested his hands on the stone railing, "I will gladly repair fences for a few weeks if but nobody is hurt in this storm."

"Aye, well said." Elladan commented, and his thought almost immediately came to rest on his foster brother and the Prince. The two of them were still out there somewhere, and he hoped that they had either stayed at the caves or found other suitable shelter. To be out in this monster of a storm would be deadly.

Suddenly, Elrohir gripped his arm tightly. "Elladan, look!" With his other hand, Elrohir pointed into the distance, towards the other end of the valley.

At first, Elladan could not find what his brother was hinting at, but then his eyes widened in alarm. "Fire!" He breathed, shocked. While he watched, the red gleam he could see spread to the North and the South, and dark smoke began to swirl into the air, where it was carried away by the wind quickly.

As if on an unspoken command, the twins turned away from the sight and hastened into the house to find their father. It took not long for the first shouts of alarm to echo off the walls of the Last Homely House, for many elves detected the fire in the distance. Soon, yells and hastening elves filled the corridors and hallways.

A fire in the valley was as deadly as an orc attack, and they all knew it. When Elrond had chosen Imladris as the place to build his sanctuary, he had done so because it was embedded deep into a natural gorge, where no outside intruders would easily find it, and if they did, they either had to know the secret ways to enter it, or to climb down the steep cliff walls. Alas, the same cliff walls that protected the elves could also be their worst enemy; they would not let the fire escape, but would force it through the whole valley on its search for food, and therewith endanger all within. They had to extinguish the fire, and quickly so.

In but a short time a contingent of elves left the settlement, Elladan, Elrohir and Glorfindel among them. Even Lord Elrond joined the group of elves, hoping that his elvish power might help extinguish the fire. While the walked over the stone bridges and through the gates, many elves joined them, armed with buckets, axes and shovels. This was their home, and they would do all they could to rescue it.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

Aragorn's coughing increased and his eyes burned. Legolas had still not awoken, and Aragorn was grateful. By now, it was almost impossible to breathe, and his head felt lightheaded. Soon the flames would reach them, and then it would be over quickly. Yet, when the first flames licked at the undergrowth close to where Aragorn was sitting, he could not help himself but scramble away, his injured ankle throbbing painfully.

He knew that he had nowhere to go, for all around him the forest burned brightly. Legolas lay heavily in his arm, his breathing shallow and his skin pale. The wound at the back of his head had stopped bleeding, but that mattered little given their position.

Thunder roared above them and a gust of wind rushed through the forest. The flames seemed to swim on the wind, and in but a heartbeat the dry grasses all around Aragorn and Legolas were smoldering. A bush right next to Aragorn suddenly burst into flame. With a hacking cough, Aragorn pressed the unconscious elf to his body and climbed unsteadily to his feet, forcing his ankle to support his weight. The calm that had possessed his body seemed to leave him in a heartbeat, only to be replaced by survival instinct.

Frantically, Aragorn looked around, but all he could see was fire and smoke. Stumbling backwards through the thick smoke, he fled from the advancing flames until he could feel the fire directly in front of him. There was nowhere to go. Coughing, Aragorn shook his head in despair and moved to the side, away from another brightly burning tree. But instead of dry forest ground, his foot suddenly slipped and Aragorn found himself falling sideways.

With a cold splash Aragorn fell into the small brook that he and Legolas had passed earlier. Water rushed over his head and upper body, blessedly cool. Spluttering, Aragorn quickly sat up, groping for Legolas. The unconscious elf had half fallen down the bank of the river, but he had not fallen into the shallow water.

New hope flooded Aragorn. With all the fire and the pain, he had completely forgotten about the small stream. Looking around, he saw that the hot summer had nearly dried it out. It was shallow and small, the banks covered with dry grasses. The water would barely reach over his knees would he stand, but still! Maybe the river would save them!

Quickly, Aragorn got to his feet, grabbed Legolas by the shoulders, and dragged the elf down the riverbank and into the water. When the cool liquid touched Legolas's face, the elf groaned softly, but did not awaken. Aragorn did his best do wet Legolas and himself thoroughly, hoping that wet hair and clothing would help them against the flames and the hot ash.

Still coughing, Aragorn held Legolas close to his body and tried to flatten them against the bed of the river while keeping their head above the water. Breathing became more difficult when the wind blew smoke and ash into the gorge of the river, and Aragorn ripped two pieces out of his clothing and wound them around Legolas' mouth and nose and his own in a vain attempt to protect them.

In but minutes the fire closed in on them, licking up tree trunks and setting the boughs of the trees aflame. The dry grass that grew on the riverbank caught fire as well, burning slowly to the ground and leaving nothing but smoldering ashes behind. Dead, black twigs and leaves rained down, whole trees collapsed. Not too far away, an old oak creaked and shuddered, its trunk ablaze, before the mighty tree crashed to the ground in a shower of sparks and flames. It came to rest across the small river, its branches partially blocking the flow of the water.

Aragorn watched the tree fall and he felt as if it would take the tree ages to fall, although it took barely a minute. Twigs, needles and sparks fell down on them, sizzling on their wet clothing and skin. With wide eyes, Aragorn watched the water level dropping rapidly. It took but a few minutes for the riverbanks to be visible and the water cease to flow.

And the fire still kept coming.

To be continued.


	9. Crown Fire

* * *

"_Aragorn watched the tree fall and he felt as if it would take the tree ages to fall, although it took barely a minute. Twigs, needles and sparks fell down on them, sizzling on their wet clothing and skin. With wide eyes, Aragorn __watched the water level drop rapidly. It took but a few minutes for the riverbanks to be visible and the water cease to flow._

_And the fire still kept coming."_

Sitting in the mud and clutching Legolas' still form to his chest, Aragorn stared around. The fire had reached the river, eating away on the scrubs and trees all around them. With the protecting water gone, Aragorn felt the heat of the flames on his skin and the bite of the smoke in his lungs. He coughed painfully; Breathing was becoming difficult.

A gust of wind suddenly blew hot ashes right at him, and Aragorn ducked low, placing his arms over Legolas's face to protect him. The heat of the wind and the flames made him feel as if he was being roasted alive. Coughing once more, Aragorn slowly lifted his head. All around him the forest was on fire, and he knew that in but a few minutes the dried out part of the river would be taken over by the flames as well. He had to act, and quickly so. He knew that the huge tree had blocked the water of the river, but that could only mean that it was filling the river before this dam. If he could reach _that_ part of the river, maybe the water would be deep enough to protect them from the fire.

Taking a deep breath and trying not to choke on the ash he inhaled despite the wet cloth before his nose and mouth, Aragorn grabbed Legolas under the arms and hoisted him into a sitting position. Legolas moaned softly, but did not wake. Not having the time to coax Legolas to full awareness, Aragorn made sure that the cloth was still in place over the elf's mouth and nose, before he crouched down, wrapped one of Legolas's arms around his shoulders, and climbed to his feet with Legolas over his shoulders.

At first he swayed and threatened to collapse; his ankle hurt horribly and Legolas's wet clothing seemed to double his weight. But Aragorn would not give up so easily; he bit his lip and steadied himself as much as he could, before he took another deep breath.

The climb up the bank seemed to take hours. Legolas's weight soon made it impossible for Aragorn to actually walk, and so he more dragged them up the bank on his hands and knees. The hot, burned earth hurt his skin, but Aragorn knew that he could not stop if he wished them to survive this. Halfway up the bank, a new gust of hot wind washed over them, nearly knocking him to the ground. Coughing and wheezing, Aragorn wiped a hand across his watering eyes. Never before had he felt that afraid.

The gust of hot wind passed, leaving the air full of ash and sand. Still coughing, Aragorn reached the top of the bank and used a rock to climb unsteadily to his feet once more. From his new position, he could see that the tree had blocked the river, but that indeed water was collecting behind the thick trunk, like it would behind a dam. New hope flared in his heart. If they could just reach the river, they could perhaps flee the flames until the fire had passed.

Tightening his hold on Legolas, Aragorn stumbled alongside the river towards the mighty tree that had fallen. His feet dragged over the ground, stepping into smaller fires and smoldering grass. His clothing and hair steamed, and soon he felt the hot earth and burning twigs smolder his thin leather boots.

It took him but a few minutes to reach the part of the river where the water was collecting, but to Aragorn it felt like a lifetime. Coughing and sweating, he stopped at the bank of the river, searching for a save way down. Suddenly, his ankle sent a fierce pain up his leg, and with a chocked scream he lost his hold and together with Legolas he toppled down the bank and into the water.

While the water in the river had been blessedly cool, the water here was warm and tasted like liquid ash, but Aragorn did not care. Making sure that Legolas's head was above the water, he moved into the middle of the river, hoping that the flames would not reach them there. Sending a prayer to the Valar, he hugged Legolas close, needing to feel the elf near him, even if he was unresponsive…and waited.

Aragorn closed his eyes against the heat and the glare of the fire that was now all around him. Even the air seemed to be on fire, and breathing was almost impossible. Legolas lay still unconscious in his arms, and Aragorn tried to keep the elf covered by the water of the river. Slowly, the water level rose, carrying them closer towards the flames, and Aragorn hoped that the fire would have moved on before the water reached the upper part of the bank.

Suddenly, Aragorn heard a loud noise behind him, like a horde of running mumakil. Confused and frightened, he turned his head to peek through the branches of the fallen log. The sight that met him shocked him to the core. Without further thought, he pushed Legolas under the water, took a deep gulp of the biting air and dived under the surface, too. Only a moment later, a red ball of fire rushed across the river, making the surface steam and even bubble in places.

From under the water, Aragorn looked up at the orange surface of the water, feeling helpless and immensely afraid. There was nothing but fire above him; if he surfaced, he would be burned immediately, not to mention that there would be no air to breathe. He felt Legolas beside him, and with a pang of fear he realized that Legolas had not had the chance to fill his lungs with air before he had pushed him under the surface. Elves could hold their breaths longer than humans, but what good did this do now?

If Aragorn blackened out, Legolas would float to the surface of the river, where he would die in the flames. Resolutely, Aragorn held Legolas tighter and tried to calm his racing heart. He must not black out! If he did, Legolas would die too.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

"We need to get closer!" Glorfindel yelled above the noise of the fire and pointed at the thick dark clouds that rose high into the air above the forest.

The elves had reached the outskirts of the part of the forest that was ablaze, and they could feel the heat and the rush of the flames. Immediately, they had begun to dig aisles, hacking into the earth with shovels and axes. By building aisles they would create a broad part of forest ground where no plants grew, therewith taking away the food the fire needed to exist. But, it was hard work and the fire was coming closer and closer.

"We cannot!" Elrond called over to his friend, wiping his sooth covered face with the sleeve of his shirt. "The fire is too close and we would never be able to stop it. We need to stop it here!"

Glorfindel grimaced and glanced towards the forest, where the fire flickered eerily red and orange. Every now and then the wind blew hot ashes at them, and every elf was covered with ash and soot. Thinking, Glorfindel turned back to Elrond, "There is a river close by. Maybe we could use it as a natural barrier."

Elrond thought for a moment, but then he shook his head, "I doubt that we would reach it in time. And furthermore, look where the fire has spread already. It must have reached the river by now and overtaken it."

After a long pause, Glorfindel lifted his axe, "Then let us hope this aisle will be enough to stop the fire." And with that, he brought his axe down into the dry earth, removing plants and grass.

A few feet away, Elladan and Elrohir were helping other elves to uproot young trees and saplings. They would be a perfect fodder for the fire, and although it hurt the elves to fell trees, they knew that it was necessary to protect their homes. They had just felled a young birch, when the wind picked up suddenly.

It blew out of the forest with such a force that Elladan turned around quickly to protect his face. The wind was hot and loud, and when it ended, Elladan felt as if his shirt was smoldering. A quick look showed him that indeed, there were little holes in his tunic that were still smoldering slightly.

Taking a deep breath, he turned to gaze at the forest. Most of the elves had stopped working and were staring into the trees with looks of horror on their faces. For a moment, the only thing they could hear was the crackling of the fire and the air seemed to be almost windless. Taking a step forwards, Elladan frowned. What did this mean?

Suddenly, a strong hand grabbed him by the arm and yanked him back and to the ground. Around him he could hear the screams of the other elves and the loud command of his father to retreat. A second later, a boiling hot wind rushed over them, so hot and fast that Elladan buried his head in his hands and had to hold his breath. He felt another elf beside him, the one who had dragged him to the ground, and when the hot wind did not stop, he began to pray silently.

To Elladan, the wind seemed to last for an eternity. His hair and clothing fluttered in the strong blast, and his clothing was getting to hot that the skin on his arms and back began to redden and hurt. The noise was so loud that Elladan wished he was able to cover his ears, but he had buried his face in his arms and hands to protect it. The elf beside him shifted closer until they touched, and Elladan felt a bit of hope surge through him. At least he was not alone.

The rush of the fire seemed to never stop, but in reality it took only a few minutes until the boiling wind vanished. Coughing and shaking, Elladan lifted his head from his arm and looked around blearily. All around him the green of the grass had vanished and nothing but burned and smoldering grass and earth was left. Coughing once more and wiping his eyes that watering from the still hot air, Elladan gazed at the elf by his side.

He was not surprised to see a disheveled and bleary eyes Elrohir crouch beside him. His younger brother's clothing was smoldering in places and his hair was singed, but otherwise he seemed alright. In a spontaneous whim, Elladan wrapped his arms around his younger brother and help him close. For a moment, they stayed like that, but then the yells and screams of the other elves made them release each other.

Looking around, they could see that many of the elves had not been able to clear the area before the hot wind had come, and the elves were climbing to their feet, dousing burning sleeves and hair here and there. All around them, what had been left of the vegetation was lost.

Grabbing Elrohir's hand, Elladan climbed to his feet, dragging his brother with him. He could see their father hastening towards them, Glorfindel on his heels. Both elder elves looked relieved to see them alive and whole.

"Elrohir! Elladan! Valar, I was so worried." Elrond embraced them for a moment, before he quickly steered them away from the smoldering forest.

"Ada, what was that?" Elladan asked, coughing slightly. Glorfindel handed him a flask of water before he answered for Elrond.

"That was a crown fire, Elladan."

"A crown fire?" Elladan asked, looking bewildered.

"Aye. A crown fire means that the fire spread through the crowns of the trees and not via the low bushes and shrubs. The fire jumps from crown to crown, fuelled by the wind itself creates. It is extremely hot and faster than any creature can run. A crown fire is maybe the most dangerous sort of wildfire there is. You two were very lucky that the fire just brushed you and did not go overhead of your position." Glorfindel eyed the forest for a moment, then nodded grimly. "But a crown fire also has its advantages. It eats away at the trees very quickly, leaving nothing to burn."

"Indeed." Elrond said. "If we hurry, maybe we can widen the aisle to stop the ground fire, now that boughs of the trees are gone."

And so, the elves went back to work, hoping that they would be quick enough to stop the approaching ground fire that was eating away on the bushes, grass and roots that had not been destroyed yet.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

Aragorn couldn't breathe. His lungs were screaming at him to open his mouth and gulp in fresh air, his heart was beating rapidly and a painful stitch had developed in his left side, just below his rips. The urge to breathe got stronger and stronger, and Aragorn had to hook his arm around a branch of the fallen tree to keep him from surfacing. The red fire ball was still visible through the water, and Aragorn knew that he could not yet surface.

Slowly, black dots appeared in his line of vision, increasing by the second. He could hear the blood rushing in his ears, and a dull pounding started in his head. Beside him, Legolas floated senselessly in the water, his blond hair streaming around his face. The sight was all Aragorn needed to fight the urge to breathe a bit longer still, but he knew that sooner or later he would either surface or drown.

Only a few moments later, the black dots changed into a red haze, and Aragorn felt his grip on Legolas lessen. Slowly, his arms and legs began to go numb and lose all strength. The urge to breathe was so strong now that he thought his lungs must burst!

Thousands of thoughts rushed through his mind, while the red haze intensified. The most prominent thought was that he would die, and Legolas with him. A stab of pain went through his heart, and had he not been under water, he would surely have cried now. It had all been in vain. The rush through the forest, the jump into the river…it had all been for nothing.

Slowly, Aragorn's hold on the branch of the tree became weaker. He knew that he would drown any moment now. So, he took the only chance he had. Kicking away from the ground weakly, Aragorn moved towards the surface.

The moment his head broke through the water, Aragorn opened his mouth to fill his lungs with air. But, there was barely air left to breath. All around him was nothing but fire. The flames immediately licked at his face and hair, and with but fraction of air in his starved lungs Aragorn dived under water again.

His face stung and burned even under water, and with wide eyes he looked up at the red surface of the water. His lungs felt burned from the inside, and could feel something metallic on his tongue. Weakly, he took a hold of Legolas, hoping that he had been able to snatch enough air to keep under water for as long as he would have to.

But after merely a few moments the red dots reappeared, filling his vision. Aragorn gazed at Legolas for a moment, before he closed his eyes. If he would have to surface into that red inferno again to save Legolas, he would.

And with a prayer to the Valar to help him, he kicked away from the ground and broke the surface.

To be continued.


	10. Homewards

**Hello! I am sorry that it took me so long to update, but here it is the new chapter! I want to thank my beta for the help, too! Now, read and enjoy.**

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Chapter 10: Homewards

"_And with a prayer to the Valar to help him, he kicked away from the ground and broke the surface."_

He had expected the stifling heat of boiling air, the agony of breathing in liquid fire. But when his head broke the surface, the air was not boiling, but almost cool to the skin. Of course, the air was still hot enough to hurt the skin, but to Aragorn it was blessedly cold. He gulped as much air into his lungs as he could, his eyes tightly closed. He coughed and spluttered when he inhaled water and ash, but strength returned to his limbs and the red dots vanished. As soon as he had filled his lungs, he opened his eyes and groped around in the murky water for Legolas.

A moment later he heaved Legolas's head above the surface. Placing the elf's head into the crook of his arm, Aragorn wiped the long strands of wet hair out of Legolas's face, before he slapped his cheeks none too gently.

"Legolas?" He rasped, coughing harshly. "Wake up, Legolas!"

But Legolas only groaned without waking. Still, at the moment it was sufficient for Aragorn, for it showed that Legolas at least breathed on his own and that his prolonged stay under the water had done him no additional harm.

Only then did Aragorn look around. The forest seemed to have gone…as had the fire! All around him the blackened and burned trunks of trees rose into the air, the branches pointing like dead fingers into the sky. The undergrowth was gone, as were all leaves, plants and grass. The earth was still smoldering and here and there a tree was burning weakly, but the fire itself was gone. Turning his head, Aragorn saw the red wall of the fire a good hundred feet further away, and his heart lifted in hope. The fire was gone.

"We live, Legolas. We made it." He whispered softly to his unconscious friend, absently stroking Legolas's cheek.

Coughing painfully, Aragorn slowly hoisted them both up the bank of the river. He had trouble breathing and the stitch in his side was getting worse. Every time he inhaled or coughed, his lungs and side protested sharply, and he had to pause often on his way up the bank. Once out of the river, Aragorn dragged them both a few feet away, before he collapsed on the hot ground. A coughing fit washed over him, leaving him breathless and shaking.

His head began to pound viciously and the black dots came back with a vengeance. With an effort, Aragorn rolled Legolas onto his back, so that his face would not lie on the smoldering ground, before he sank to the ground himself. His hands and face hurt horribly, as did his eyes and lungs, and when another coughing fit shook him , Aragorn drew his knees up to his chest, trying to catch his breath. Before the coughing fit was over, though, the black dots overtook his vision, and he lost consciousness.

A moment later, a soft rain began to fall.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

"I think the fire is under control now." Elrond wiped a hand across his sweaty face, leaning heavily on his shovel. A few hours ago a soft rain had begun to fall, which had turned into a strong summer rain. It had helped to put out the ground fires, and together with the aisles that the elves had built it had eventually stopped the fire from spreading. Thunder was still rolling in the distance, but the lighting had stopped.

"Aye, if the rain keeps falling, that is." Elrohir said, gazing at the grey clouds. "If the rain stops, the fire could start anew."

"Then let us hope that the rain keeps falling." Elrond said, his voice weary. He was glad that the clouds had finally opened, therewith preventing him from using another, and much for dangerous way to stop the flames. Absently, Elrond brushed the ring on his finger, sighing inwardly.

Around Elrond and the twins, the elves were standing together in groups in the falling rain, looking tired but happy. No one had been hurt seriously during their fight against the fire, and a few bruises, cuts and burns were all the injuries that had been sustained.

Glorfindel made his away over to Elrond and the twins, looking as soot covered and disheveled as they felt. When he reached them, Glorfindel asked, "When do we go in?"

"Go in where?" Elrohir asked, wiping his hand across his face against the pouring rain.

"Into the forest, of course." Glorfindel answered, an elegant eyebrow lifted. "There could be injured animals in there that need our help. Furthermore, we need to make sure that there are no fire seats."

The twins sighed simultaneously. They were tired and dirty, and the prospect of going into the burned forest was not appealing to them. But, they knew of the seriousness of the situation, and after a brief visual exchange, they volunteered to enter the burned woods.

In minutes, Glorfindel assembled a group of elves, and carrying axes and shovels the dirtied elves entered what was left the forest. Above them clouds turned darker as the sun slowly sank behind the horizon, and soon it was so dark that the elves had to light torches to find the way.

It was a strange feeling to walk through a burned forest, carrying an open source of fire, and the elves that carried the torches seemed to take exceptional care of the flames. On the other hand, the darkness made it easier to spot the smaller fires that were still burning, and the elves worked quickly and efficiently.

To their remorse they found a handful of burned animals which had not been fast enough to flee from the fire, and they buried them in silence. It was nearing midnight when they reached the small river that ran through this part of the forest.

Stopping at the bank, Elladan shook his head, "Ro, look. Do you see how high the water is?"

Sidling up beside his brother, Elrohir gazed at the river thoughtfully, "Maybe something blocked it further downstream."

"Aye, something big." Elladan sighed. "You know what that means, don't you?"

Elrohir nodded, "We will have to follow the bank, find the blockade and free the river. The forest will need the water of the river to come back to life."

Gazing at the water for a moment, Elladan sighed again. "Let's go then." Elladan hailed a few of the other elves, and together they made their way down the river, while the main group of the elves spread out to the left and right of the river to continue their search.

Half an hour later, Elrohir suddenly pointed at the river. "Look! A tree is blocking the river. It must have fallen over in the fire."

The elves moved towards the tree that was blocking blocked the river, gazing down at it. The two torches they had with them illuminated the area only sparsely. Elrohir studied the tree for a moment, then frowned, "We have no saws with us. Maybe we can shift it so that the river can flow around it and return tomorrow with material to remove the tree."

The other elves nodded, and while three of the elves stayed where they were, Elladan, Elrohir and another elf crossed the river to help from the other side. Elladan had almost reached the trunk of the tree, when something to his left caught his eye. Frowning, he narrowed his eyes to take a closer look. There was a dark shape lying on the ground, and in the darkness Elladan could not make out what it was. Thinking it to be maybe a dead dear or a stag, he stepped closer.

He had barely taken two steps, when his eyes suddenly widened and his breath caught in his throat. That was no dead deer! With a shocked, "Ro!" he rushed forwards and fell to his knees onto the now wet soil.

"Estel?" For indeed, there before him on the wet ground lay his human brother, and right next to him lay Legolas. Both were unconscious, and in the dim light Elladan could not tell whether they were alive or not. They were not moving, that much he could tell.

In mere seconds Elrohir reached his side, a horrified expression on his face. Sinking down as well, he shook his head, "How?"

Unnoticed by either of the twins, one of the other elves quickly left the place, and running through the forest he went in search for help.

Elladan and Elrohir gazed down at their brother and friend in shocked silence. Legolas lay on his back, eyes closed and face almost relaxed. His hair was singed in places as was his clothing, and his face was pale, but otherwise he looked alright. Aragorn, on the other hand, did not.

He lay on his side with his knees drawn up to his chest, and there was a pained expression on his face. While Legolas's face was pale, Aragorn's was an unhealthy shade of grey, while his forehead, nose, cheekbones and chin were of an angry red. His clothing was more burned than Legolas's, and the skin on his hands was burned too.

Elladan shook his head in shock and disbelief, "What are they doing here?" Then he reached out and placed two fingers at Aragorn's neck to feel for his pulse, while Elrohir checked Legolas. He released a relived sigh when his fingers felt a strong, if somewhat fast and irregular pulse. He glanced askance at Elrohir, who nodded to show that Legolas was alive as well.

"Maybe they were on their way back from the caves and got caught in the fire." Elrohir mused, already shrugging out of his shirt to bed Legolas' head on it. He had barely touched Legolas, when the Prince groaned and shifted slightly.

"Legolas? Can you hear me?" Elrohir asked worriedly, but Legolas merely flinched, before he lay completely still once more.

Gently, Elrohir turned Legolas's head and parted the long blond tresses. In the light of the torch, he could see a deep wound on the back of Legolas's head that must have bled quite profusely. A big swelling could be felt as well, explaining Legolas's unconsciousness.

While Elrohir examined Legolas, Elladan bestowed his attention on Aragorn. He turned him onto his back to examine him better. What he saw in the torchlight made his stomach churn. The side of Aragorn's face that had lain on the ground seemed to be one big burn. From the forehead down to the chin the skin was red and inflamed; it looked extremely painful.

Brushing a hand across Aragorn's other cheek in a soothing gesture, Elladan breathed out deeply, before he resumed his examination. There were no visible wounds at his chest or legs, but when Elladan took a closer look at Aragorn's hands, he flinched. The skin on the fingers and palms was dirtied and burned, as if he had crawled through burning grass. With a shudder, Elladan peered over his shoulder at the riverbank. '_Maybe he has'_, he thought with a shudder.

None of the elves carried any healing supplies, and so they could do nothing but wait for help to come. With his human brother carefully cradled in his arm, Elladan gazed at Elrohir, who cared for Legolas. There was heartfelt worry in his eyes, and he swallowed thickly. Both of them had numerous questions on the tip of their tongues, but they knew that they would get no answers until either Legolas or Aragorn woke.

And so, they waited. It took time for help to arrive, but when they spotted the first torches through the trees, they called out to the elves to show them where they were. Glorfindel was among the group of arriving elves, as was Elrond.

While Elrond examined Legolas and Aragorn, a frown on his face and his lips a tight line, Glorfindel ordered some of the elves to built stretchers, while the others were set the task to remove the tree and free the river.

Even Elrond could do little out in the woods, and so he only bandaged Aragorn's hands and Legolas's head, before the two were placed on the stretchers. Slowly, the group of elves carried the two friend through the forest, past burned trees and smoldering bushes. All the way back to the Last Homely House the rain fell down on them, but the smell of burned wood, clothing and something more sinister hang thick in the air.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

Legolas was not sure what woke him, but he was not too eager to find out. His head was throbbing viciously and somehow breathing felt uncomfortable, too. He could not remember what had happened to him, but whatever it was, he knew that he would be in even more pain if he woke up completely. So, he was content to float between sleep and full awareness. At least, for the moment.

After a while of being semi-awake, he recognized that he was moving slowly. It felt as if he was lying on a stretcher of some kind. Something wet was constantly touching his face, but he could not imagine why. Snatched of conversations reached his ears, but he could not make out all that was said, and neither did he recognize the voices. After some minutes of hearing nothing but single words and soft murmuring somewhere in the background, he decided that maybe these voices could tell him what had happened, without him having to wake up. So, he concentrated on the voices until he could hear more than just a word here and there.

"Careful now….don't jostle him….we will soon reach home….still unconscious…..healing wing is prepared, my Lord….water and bandages….stay with Estel, ada…."

This caught Legolas's attention. He was not sure who had said the last sentence, but he thought it must have been one of the twins. What did that mean; the twin would stay with Estel? Was Estel hurt? Had something happened to him? In a heartbeat Legolas felt himself rush towards full awareness. New strength seemed to surge through his veins and his heart beat double as fast as before. Legolas approached wakefulness fast, and soon his eyelids fluttered weakly.

"Ada! I think he is waking up." That was Elladan speaking, Legolas was sure now. He groaned softly as his head gave another painful throb and automatically lifted a hand to touch the back of his head. Before his hand could reach his head, though, it was taken into a gentle grip and placed back beside Legolas.

"Easy, my friend. You should not move too much." Elladan again.

Legolas frowned and tried to open his eyes. At first they would not open, but after a few tries his eyelids opened slowly. He blinked to clear his bleary vision, then gazed up at the face above him. His voice was dry and raspy when he spoke, "Elladan?"

"Aye, Legolas, it is me. Don't move yet, we will settle you more comfortably in but a moment." Elladan smiled, his sooth covered face bobbing alongside him.

'Sooth covered face?' Legolas thought hazily, not comprehending what he saw. A quick glance to the other side showed him that he was indeed lying on a stretcher and was carried through a hallway in the healing wing. Beside him, on the other side, another sooth covered elf walked, followed by a healer.

Legolas's frown deepened, and he had just opened his mouth to ask what had happened, when the stretcher passed an alcove in the wall. A torch had been placed there to illuminate the hallway, and when the light of the flame hit Legolas's face, it suddenly came all rushing back to him.

The cave, the fire, the heat and the ash. Aragorn's injured ankle. The burning tree! With a gasp, Legolas sat up straight, surprising the two elves that carried the stretcher. Elladan was not less surprised. "Legolas! What…?" He moved to press Legolas back down on the stretcher, but the Prince would have none of it. Before any of the elves could react, he swung his legs over the edge of the stretcher and climbed to his feet.

"Legolas!" A worried call came from Elladan, and Legolas felt the elf grab his shoulder. "You need to lie down. You are not well."

"No. Where is Estel?" Legolas looked around frantically, but he could not see his friend. "Elladan, where is he?" He asked worriedly, his eyes flickering left and right. The last thing he could remember was pushing Aragorn out of the way of the falling tree. After that, he could remember nothing at all.

"Legolas, calm down, please." Elladan tightened his grip on Legolas's shoulder when the elf began to sway gently. "Please, lie down, Legolas."

"No, no! Where is he, Dan? Is he well?" With huge eyes Legolas looked up at Elladan, the question clearly written in his eyes.

A sigh left Elladan's lips a small, worried frown creased his brow. "He is alive and Ada is treating him right now. I think he will be well, Legolas." There was a pause, and then Elladan sighed once more, "You will not rest until you have seen him, will you?"

Legolas simply shook his head.

"Well then, come." And with that, Elladan wrapped one of Legolas's arm around his shoulders, his own arm around Legolas's waist, and began the slow trek towards the healing room that had been assigned to his little human brother. The rest of the elves stared after the twin and Prince, before they shrugged their shoulders and continued on towards the healing room that would be Legolas for the next few days.

Slowly, Elladan and Legolas made their way through the healing wing, until they reached one of the examination rooms. The door was slightly ajar, and Elladan pushed it open gently. They stepped inside the room, where they were immediately spotted by Elrohir. He rushed towards them and supported Legolas on the other side, while Elladan led him over to the examination table, where Elrond and another healer were bent over an unconscious Aragorn.

Elrohir shot his twin a look, asking why he was bringing Legolas here, but Elladan merely shrugged his shoulders. They both knew that Legolas could be stubborn as a mule and would not rest ere he had made sure that Aragorn was well.

When they reached the table, Elrond looked up from his work. He frowned, but said nothing. As soon as Legolas had reached the table and leaned on it heavily, the twins released their hold on him, but they stayed close to support him should he falter.

For a moment, Legolas simply stared down at Aragorn's face, before he trailed a finger gently down the dirty cheek. Then, his look travelled down further, to his friend's hands that were just now in the process of being cleaned. Even with all the dirt still attached to them, Legolas could tell that they were badly burned.

Legolas closed his eyes for a moment, before he gazed once more at Aragorn's still face. His dark hair was contrasting sharply against the pale and red skin, and Legolas could not help the thought that Aragorn looked so young right now….a thought that he had had too many times in the last few month.

With a voice thick of emotion, he asked softly, "What happened?"

"We hoped that you could tell us." Elrond said, stepping nearer to the Prince. "You were found in the burned forest near a small river, both unconscious."

Shaking his head, Legolas reached out and gently stroked the man's dark hair out of his face. "The last thing I remember is being closed in by the fire. Estel had injured his ankle and could not climb the trees to escape. We were looking for a way out and then…then the tree next to us caught fire and a branch came down on us. That is all I remember."

Legolas stopped, swaying slightly. Elrond placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, "You need rest, Legolas, and healing." He gently loosened Legolas's fingers from Aragorn's and then steered Legolas away from the examination table. "Why don't you go with Elladan, Legolas, while I treat to Estel? When you are cleaned and your wounds dressed you can come back."

"I can?" Legolas asked, locking huge eyes with Elrond's. He knew that normally he would not be allowed in Aragorn's room when the man had been injured recently, and Elrond's words surprised him.

"Of course, Legolas. He will be glad to see you when he awakens." With those words, Elrond gently pushed Legolas into Elladan's arms. The twin took a good hold of the Prince, supporting him when he swayed once more. While Legolas looked back over his shoulder at Aragorn, Elrond and Elladan had a quick, wordless but mouthed conversation. Nodding at this father that he had understood, Elladan gently steered Legolas from the room. When they crossed the threshold, Elladan could be heard suggesting, "Why don't we get you cleaned up and dressed in fresh clothing, Legolas? And what about a nice warm tea after all this worry?"

Those left in the room flinched slightly at those words. It was clear to them that Legolas would not visit Aragorn soon, but sleep for the next few hours, due to Elrond's infamous tea.

When Legolas and Elladan had left, Elrohir moved to stand beside his father, who resumed the task of cleaning Aragorn's hands. "Ada, if what Legolas just told us is true, then…" He stopped, staring down at his young brother.

"Aye, then Estel must have saved them both from the fire." Elrond said, pride and worry to equal parts in his eyes.

_To be continued._

**And, do you like it?**


	11. Home

**A/N: Yeah I'm back! Thanks for your patience**!

Chapter 11: Home

It was the day after the two friends had been rescued out of the forest, and night was already approaching. The rain had kept on falling throughout the day, and scouts had reported that the fire was truly extinguished. A great cloud of smoke was still hanging above the forest, telling of what had happened.

Elladan and Elrohir never left the side of either Legolas or Aragorn. When Elladan was with Legolas, Elrohir was sitting with Aragorn, and when Elladan wanted to be with Aragorn, Elrohir would stay with Legolas. Elrond visited both patients regularly, making sure that their injuries were treated properly and healing as they should. Legolas suffered from a medium severe concussion and he had inhaled enough ash, smoke and water to give him some trouble. But, Elrond was sure that there would be no lasting effects.

Aragorn suffered from more serious injuries, though. His hands were burned badly, and Elrond had needed hours to stitch the skin and treat the burns. He had hope that there would only be a few lasting scars. The young man's face had suffered almost equally as bad. The heat and flames had singed and burned his skin, leaving huge blisters that watered and must hurt quite a bit. The father in Elrond wanted nothing more than to bandage the burns, so that those that looked upon Aragorn's face would not see them, but the healer in Elrond knew that the burns needed the air to heal. Elrond had examined his son's limbs as well, finding that, indeed, one of the ankles was sprained badly, just as Legolas had said, but not broken.

The human's lungs worried Elrond the most. While he had treated Aragorn, the young man had woken shortly, probably due to the pain the treatment caused him. During the short time that he had been awake, he had wheezed and coughed, wincing with every breath he took. Elrond had given him tea that put him to sleep, for in his sleep, Aragorn breathed easier.

Elrond had listened closely, his ear pressed to his son's chest, and what he had heard worried him. There was water in his son's lungs, either caused by the stay in the river where they had been found or caused by the ash, sooth and grime his son had inhaled during the fire. Foreign particles in the lungs could not only cause injuries to the soft tissue, but also lead to inflammations with water concretions. It would take a long time and be very painful for Aragorn to cough the water out of his lungs. And if the lungs had been damaged, then the healing process would take even longer. But with the right care and rest, Elrond was sure that Aragorn would also heal.

Now, with the sun just setting behind the clouds, Elrond sat with his youngest son. He knew that the healing tea he had given Aragorn would wear off soon, and he wanted to be with his son when he awoke. Elrohir and Elladan were with Legolas at this moment, keeping the fidgeting Prince company while Elrond waited for Aragorn to wake.

Legolas had woken around midday and had immediately asked if he could see Aragorn. Elrond, true to his earlier word, had allowed the Prince to visit Aragorn, but he had ordered him back to bed for the night, much to Legolas's dismay, of course.

While he waited, Elrond stared out of the window at the falling rain. His thoughts returned to the sight that had met him in the burned forest, and his heart clenched painfully in his chest. He could not help but wonder what had happened to his son and Legolas, and how much luck they must have had to survive this wildfire. Surely the Valar must have watched over the two.

A soft sound from the bed caught his attention, and Elrond redirected his thoughts towards Aragorn. Leaning forwards in his chair, Elrond gazed at his son's face. Aragorn's eyelids were fluttering, and he was shifting under the covers. He was waking up.

"Estel, ion nin? Wake up, son." Elrond crooned softly, patting his son's arm.

Aragorn groaned softly and coughed under his breath, but he opened his eyes nonetheless. He looked around owlishly, then blinked a few times. "Ada?" He more croaked than said, coughing as soon as the word left his mouth.

Quickly but gently, Elrond helped him into a sitting position and rubbed his back until the coughing finally subsided. Then, he held out a cup of water to Aragorn's lips to drink. "Here, Estel, drink this. It will help."

The water felt wonderfully on his parched throat, and Aragorn drank gratefully. When the cup was empty, he turned his head away and Elrond replaced the cup on the nightstand. Elrond quickly felt the man's temperature and pulse, before he sat down on the bed, a soft smile on his lips.

"I'm glad you awoke, ion nin." After a pause he added with a twinkle in his eyes, "And I'm sure Legolas will be thrilled, too."

At those words, Aragorn flicked his head left and right, searching the room. When his search came up empty, he locked huge eyes on his father. "Legolas? Is he alright?" His voice was so soft and scratchy that Elrond more guessed the words than understood them. Patting his son's knee, he smiled reassuringly.

"No need to worry, my son. Legolas is as well as can be expected, and if I may say so, in a much better condition than you are." At Aragorn's relieved sigh, Elrond continued. "What happened, Estel? Legolas could not tell us, but we hoped you could."

Aragorn opened his mouth to respond, but as soon as he inhaled, he doubled over and coughed violently. He wrapped his arms around his chest and coughed and coughed, each hacking sound shaking his whole body.

"Shh, Estel." Elrond soothed, rubbing his back in small circles again. "Try to breathe not too deeply. That's it, my son. Easy."

After a while, the coughing ceased, and Elrond helped Aragorn to drink a bit more. The water ran blessedly cool down his throat, chasing away the last weak coughs. When Aragorn had caught his breath, he leaned wearily against the headboard and closed his eyes for a moment. Only now did he become aware of the pounding in his hands and the sharp pain in his side, just under his ribs. Sighing, he opened his eyes and gazed at his father.

Elrond watched him with a small frown creasing his ageless brow. He was still waiting for an answer to his question, but he would not force his son to speak if he was not yet ready to share the tale. But Aragorn gave him a small smile, looked at his bandaged hands for a moment, and then began to tell him of what had happened to him and Legolas. Of course, Aragorn did not tell him everything, just enough so that his father could make himself a mental picture of what had happened. Aragorn said nothing about what had happened in the cave, of Legolas' and his flight, of the dark images he had meant to see in the darkness of the cave or of the fear that had taken a hold of him when he had noticed that they had been caught by the fire. But, he told him of how he had injured his ankle, of how Legolas had saved him from the branch, of their flight to the river and their subsequent struggle to escape the burning flames.

While he spoke, his eyes sought the window to his right, and only when he finished his tale did he look at his father. It was so much easier to tell this tale without seeing his father's emotions flitter across his face.

"I know that I reached the top of the riverbank." Aragorn finished. "And that is all I remember."

Nodding, Elrond smiled at his son. "It were your brothers who found you and Legolas amidst the burned forest. They called for help and we brought you home. That was yesterday." And then Elrond told Aragorn of how the elves of Rivendell had fought the fire, and how they had entered the forest to extinguish the last flames and to take care of the poor animals that had not been able to escape.

When Elrond had finished, it was silent for a moment. The moon had appeared in the dark night sky, and its soft light bathed the room in a silver glow. Finally, it was Aragorn who broke the silence. "So all is well now?"

"So it would seem, ion nin." Elrond said. He reached out to caress Aragorn's cheek gently. "You should sleep now. I am sure that Legolas will visit you at the break of dawn, and it would not do for you to greet him with one of your huge yawns."

A smile stole onto Aragorn's burned features, and he sank down into the mattress. "I admit that I am tired, Ada." As if to underline his words, he yawned.

"Then sleep, my son." Elrond smoothed the covers, before he gave Aragorn's a kiss on the dark locks. Silently, Elrond got to his feet. He doused the candles that stood on the tables and dimmed the lamps, before the closed the curtains. When he turned back to his son's bed, Aragorn had already fallen asleep. With a tender smile that spoke more than words, Elrond moved soundlessly to the door and exited the room. And those that saw the Lord of Imladris walk to this chambers that evening, were surprised to see such deep emotions of pride and love in his eyes.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

The next days passed slowly. Aragorn slept or dozed most of the time, for his burned hands and face troubled him and his father deemed it best that Aragorn slept through the worst of the pain. When he had been awake the second day after the fire, Aragorn had spoken much with his brothers and father, but now, days later, the twins and Elrond had too much to do during the days to keep him much company. The forest had to be taken care of, as had the fences and gardens that had been damaged by the flames. Elladan and Elrohir were busy with the repair of the bridges, while Elrond delegated the other works.

So it was only Legolas who kept Aragorn company during the hours of day, but neither of them regretted this arrangement. They both felt incredibly grateful that they were still alive, and Legolas had thanked Aragorn in his own unique way for saving him from sure death. Aragorn still blushed when he thought about it.

But although they talked much about what had happened in the last few days, there were topics that they both avoided. And they knew it very well. While Legolas tried not to speak about his shameful actions in the caves, Aragorn fought to forget the things he had felt and said in the caves as well. For both of them the caves held bitter memories that they wished to forget. And while they succeeded to skirt around them during the day, the nights revealed their fears.

More than once Aragorn woke sweaty and with a pounding heart from his nightmares, hoping that he had not unconsciously cried out in his sleep. And Legolas, sleeping in his own room instead of in the healing wing, was not able to find sleep at all; for every time that he tried to wander off to elvish dreams, his mind would whisper to him of his cowardice and disloyalty to his friend and lover.

Legolas's head wound healed quickly, and after but a few days Elrond proclaimed him as good as new. Aragorn's injuries needed longer to heal, and even a week after the fire he had to lean on a crutch to make his way to the dining hall. At least, Elrond had deemed him well enough to sleep in his own room again.

A sunny morning a week after the fire found Aragorn in his room, standing in front of his chest of drawers. He looked into the huge mirror that stood on the chest of drawers and leaned on the wall. Slowly, he turned his face left and right, examining his reflection. His skin had lost the pale hue it had had the day after his rescue, and the skin on his forehead, nose and cheekbones was no longer angry red. But, when Aragorn turned his head so that he could see the left side of his face, he sighed deeply. From forehead to chin, covering his whole left side, ugly looking burn marks covered his features. Although he treated them every day with water in which calendula had seeped, and used oils and salves to quicken the healing process, the marks were still angry red, watery, and altogether horrible. They reminded him daily of what had happened and he could not help but notice the stares that the elves gave him whenever they saw him. To them, those marks disfiguring his face must be disgusting. He must look like some kind of monster to their eyes.

Aragorn sighed once more and shook his head at his strange thoughts. Of course the elves that lived and worked in his father's house would not think such things. They were noble beings and he was well loved and respected since he had come to Rivendell as a child. No, what he saw in the eyes of the elves, was pity. But, Aragorn was not sure whether pity was better than disgust. And what was it that he had seen in Legolas's eyes? Aragorn was not sure if he wanted to know, either.

Once more, he looked at his reflection in the mirror, before he grimaced at himself and looked away. Opening the topmost drawer of the chest of drawers, Aragorn rummaged through it for a moment, before his fingers grabbed a clean shirt. Pulling out and the drawer shut, Aragorn shrugged clumsily out of his nightclothes. His hands were still bandaged, if not so heavily anymore, and his fingers moved slower and less accurate than he was used to.

With a grunt, he pushed the clean shirt over his head, then pulled it down. Shaking his head, he swung his locks back into their usual unruly position. A knock on his door made him turn his head. "Enter."

It was Legolas. "Good morning, Estel. I hope you have slept well?" Legolas entered the room, looking fresh and healthy and altogether as if nothing bad had happened only a few days back. If one chose to ignore the singed hair-tips, that was.

"Aye, I have." Aragorn lied, turning back to the chest of drawers so as to avoid Legolas's gaze. Of course he had not slept well. Again he had dreamt of Lithdal, of what he elf had nearly done to him, and it had left him breathless and unable to go back to sleep. Aragorn busied himself with the laces of his shirt, cursing softly when his bandaged fingers could not tie the knots.

"Let me help you." Legolas was suddenly at his side, taking the laces away from him and deftly closing the shirt for him. "There, here you go."

"Thank you." Aragorn mumbled, a bit ashamed that Legolas had to help him with such a simple task.

"You're welcome." Legolas said, before he leaned closer and gently brushed his lips against Aragorn's. It was a slow kiss, sweet and warm, and before Legolas knew what he was doing, his hands cupped Aragorn's face like he used to do.

The man's reaction was instantaneous. With a yelp of pain he stumbled back, flinching in pain. His breathing was fast and labored, and Legolas watched as a few tears tracked down his cheeks. Aragorn coughed a cough that originated deep in the lungs, and held his side while he tried to catch his breath; his lungs had not healed yet.

Shocked, Legolas stammered, "Estel, I…I'm sorry. I forgot…."

Legolas had not meant to touch the burned side of Aragorn's face; he had simply forgotten the man's injury. Taking a step forwards, Legolas grabbed Aragorn's upper arm in apology. "I am so sorry, Estel."

Having caught his breath, Aragorn wiped the tears from his cheeks and shook his head. Without looking at Legolas, he brushed past him so that he stood once more in front of the mirror. "I'm fine, Legolas." He reached for a brush, but Legolas's words stilled his movements.

"No, you are not. I hurt you, Estel, although I did not mean to. I simply forgot." Legolas said, his voice thick with guilt.

To his surprise, Aragorn snorted. "How could you forget, Legolas?" He asked bitterly, lifting his head. His eyes met Legolas's in the mirror. "How could you forget when these scars are so clearly visible for all with eyes to see?"

There was a note of accusation in Aragorn's voice, as if he wanted to defy Legolas's earlier words. But there was even more insecurity in those grey eyes that met Legolas's, and the elf's heart reached out to the young man's pain. Taking a few steps so as to stand directly behind Aragorn, Legolas placed both of his hands on the man's shoulders.

"I forgot because, although I can see those marks you speak of, they do not matter to me."

Aragorn shook his head in denial. "Do not matter? But…LOOK at me, Legolas!" Aragorn gestured at his appearance in the mirror. "How can that not matter?"

Giving Aragorn's shoulders a gentle squeeze, Legolas answered gently, "It does not matter to me, or to those that love you, Estel, because we see more than just your face. We can see into your heart and soul. And we love what we see there."

Aragorn frowned, not yet willing to believe Legolas's words. "But Legolas, what if those burns have disfigured me forever? What if they leave scars?"

"Then they leave scars." Legolas said, smiling gently. "And they would tell of your courage and bravery in the face of almost certain death. They would be a reminder for all with eyes to see that you have saved me, that you were willing to sacrifice your life for mine." Legolas reached out and tucked Aragorn's dark locks behind his ears on both sides. "I would not miss them, for they remind me of your love for me."

Aragorn felt his eyes water slightly, and he lowered his face. He had not thought about it that way before. A moment later he felt Legolas's soft fingers lifting his chin. Their eyes met in the glass of the mirror and he heard Legolas say softly, his eyes sparkling, "And….I cannot deny that they give you that roguish flair that I love so much about you."

Aragorn laughed quietly, shaking his head once more. "Oh Legolas….you always find the right words."

With a smile, Legolas placed a kiss on Aragorn's undamaged cheek, then wrapped his arms around the man. Numerous thoughts raced through Aragorn's mind. Legolas….Aragorn closed his eyes and leaned his head back against Legolas's shoulder, enjoying the strength of the elf and the feeling of complete safety that always seemed to engulf him when Legolas was close. He loved that feeling with a passion.

'_Maybe_', Aragorn thought, '_now is the time to tell Legolas of the continued nightmares_.' Maybe Legolas would find the right words to heal him from those, too. But before he found the words to begin that particular conversation, Legolas let go of him and made his way over to the door.

"Breakfast is ready, Estel. If we do not hasten, you brothers will have left us nothing but scraps."

Aragorn nodded, then turned and followed Legolas. Maybe later would be early enough.

To be continued.


	12. Healing

_Thank you to all who reviewd! You are great!_

A/N: Just to clarify this. The scenes with Lithdal are **dream sequences**.

And, the rating went up to **T**. Some intense scenes that people might find offending.

Chapter 12: Healing

The night was awash with glittering stars. Their silver light illuminated the sleeping valley, reflecting on the smooth surfaces of the many rivers, ponds and lakes. Fire flies flew hither and yonder, chasing each other merrily, and the sweet scent of night-flowers filled the air. It was a peaceful night, and all of Imladris enjoyed the quiet and serenity.

All but one.

Aragorn tossed from side to side in his sleep, his legs tangled in the bed covers. Sweat stood on his brow, plastering his dark locks to his forehead. A frown had taken residence there, while his hands groped into the air for something to hold onto. But, there was nothing he could have latched onto, nothing that saved him from his own dreams.

Dark they were, his dreams, and full of fear. Again and again he saw the leering smile on Lithdal's lips, the cold, icy eyes roam across his body, searing into his very soul, leaving him naked. In his dream he could hear Lithdal's voice as if he stood right next to him, smell the elf's skin and feel his strong hands hold him down, before they worked loose his shirt and pants. This dream was not different from all the others, and when the dream-Lithdal finally let go of Aragorn and turned to the door, Aragorn's eyes followed him pleadingly. But instead of leaving him alone, Lithal turned the key in the lock and turned back towards him. His smile pierced Aragorn's very soul; the smile was so full of lust that Aragorn felt his heart tremble in his chest like a young bird would in the face of a wolf.

Lithdal drew near and knelt down beside him, while Aragorn watched with helpless horror. A slender finger reached out and touched Aragorn's cheek, caressing it almost gently. And in his dream, Aragorn felt the touch and heard Lithdal whisper into his ear, "_Shh, my little Estel. I will not hurt you._" And then Lithdal was there again, touching him, kissing him, doing things that Aragorn did not want him to do. And in the real world, Aragorn cried out in his sleep, tears watering his cheeks.

In his own bedroom, right next to Aragorn's, Legolas was woken from his elvish dreams by some sound or other. He blinked sleepily, not sure what had woken him. But then the sound reached his ears once more, and without a second thought Legolas rose to his feet, crossed to the door that connected his room with Aragorn's, and made his way quickly over to the young man's bed.

The sight that met his eyes pierced Legolas heart, and for a moment he stood there, paralyzed. Aragorn lay on his bed, tangled in the sheets, the pillow somewhere on the ground. He had his knees drawn to his chest, so that they almost touched his chin, while his arms were wound around his body. Even in the moonlight Legolas could see that Aragorn was crying, and while he watched, the man tossed his head to the side, wailing miserably.

Broken from his paralysis, Legolas rushed forwards. He wanted nothing more than to wake Aragorn from his nightmare and he had already reached out to shake the man awake, when another thought struck him. A thought, and a memory. Down in the cave, he had woken Aragorn from his nightmare, but the man had not recognized him. They had talked about the dreams, but clearly that had not helped to cure the man from this evil.

Legolas's hand hovered a few inches above Aragorn's shoulder, indecision warring within him. He could wake Aragorn, convince him that everything had been but a dream, then stay with him until the man had fallen asleep again. Aye, he could do that. And he could repeat that tomorrow, and the day after that and after that. It would help, but it would not heal Aragorn from his nightmares. Lithdal, Legolas realized, had taken something from the young man that only Aragorn could take back. His pride, his sense of safety in the world.

Having made his decision, Legolas withdrew his hand. As if Aragorn felt the withdrawal, he tossed his head in his sleep, whimpering. His eyes moved rapidly behind his closed lids, and when he cried out for help in his sleep, Legolas had to visibly restrain himself from waking him after all.

But, instead of shaking Aragorn awake, Legolas knelt down in front of the bed, so that his face was level with Aragorn's. For a moment, he studied the sweat drenched face of the young ranger, the hands that opened and closed as if Aragorn needed something to hold onto, and the tension that emanated from the whole body.

And then, Legolas leaned closer, his eyes fixed on Aragorn's face. In a voice so low that even he could not truly hear it, Legolas began to whisper words of strength and encouragement, of love and devotion. He spoke those words over and over again, hoping that Aragorn would hear his voice in his dreams and take strength from them.

Caught in his dream, Aragorn saw Lithdal's face above him, white hair framing the pale face. There were tiny pearls of sweat on the elf's skin, proof of his labors, and Aragorn felt his stomach revolt forcefully. With strong hands the elf held his shoulders down, moving his long fingers across Aragorn's collar bones, before they travelled further down, down, until they vanished between their bodies. Another shudder raced through Aragorn and he closed his eyes in defeat. He wanted nothing more than this to end. Why could it not end? Was Lithdal never finished, never satisfied, never sated?

And when Lithdal was finished once more, the elf kissed Aragorn full on the mouth, like he always did in the dreams after he had had his pleasure. '_Look at me._' Lithdal said, not with sternness in his voice, but Aragorn could do nothing but obey. He opened his eyes, gazing up at the elf's face. How much it reminded him of Legolas, although it was so completely different from the face of the Prince. Lithdal smiled down at him, baring his white teeth. He tapped a finger against the side of Aragorn's face, '_I wonder_', he said, '_whether Legolas has tasted you like I have._' His smile widened and his eyes became taunting, '_I wonder whether he would want you back, now that you smell like me, taste like me._' And he kissed Aragorn again, slowly.

A tear rolled down Aragorn's cheek, in the dream and in reality, and he sobbed in sheer emotional pain. He was caught in Lithdal's strong grip, and there was no way out. He closed his eyes so that he would not have to see Lithdal, and tried to think of something else, anything that would take him to another place, a place where he would not have to hear the elf's sighs and grunts, where he would not feel the strong hands that held him down, the touch of the fingers that burned his skin.

Aragorn retreated into his own mind, a place where he knew he was safe, where no one would find him. Here, he was safe. Darkness surrounded him and the sounds from Lithdal faded slowly, until they were gone altogether. A sigh left Aragorn's lips, and although he knew that he could not stay in the darkness of his own mind forever, that Lithdal would pull him from it sooner or later, like he always did, Aragorn felt a small reprieve. It was so wonderfully quiet here….and then suddenly, Aragorn thought to her a voice calling out to him.

Shocked, he turned around, but there was no one with him. Only darkness. But the voice became louder, stronger, until the man could make out the words. He recognized that voice! Legolas….In his dream, Aragorn did not wonder why he heard Legolas's voice in his own mind, he was simply glad that he was no longer alone, that Legolas was there to protect him. Aragorn bathed in the words, waded through them, and wrapped them around himself like one would do with a too large overcoat. They were so warm, so comfortable.

Legolas spoke of strength and love, of devotion and victory. '_You are not alone, Estel. I will always stand at your side. But this is something you must do alone, and I know that you can do it. You are strong, Estel. You can fight him. Do not let him win. Estel, I love you._'

Aragorn knew what Legolas was speaking of, but he was not sure whether Legolas was right. In his dream, Aragorn relived the day that Lithdal had cornered him in the woods, had thrown him to the ground and tried to do things…the day that Lithdal had kissed him….the day Lithdal had touched him where only Legolas had ever touched him before…

And with these memories, the sighs and grunts of the dream-Lithdal became louder, clearer. And suddenly, Aragorn was back in the dream, staring up at Lithdal's flushed face that moved rhythmically above him. Again and again the white hair whipped around Lithdal's face, before the elf suddenly threw his head back and purred like a large cat. The sinews in his neck were clearly visible, his muscles rippled under his skin. And when Lithdal sighed deeply and looked down at Aragorn, a satisfied smile formed on his lips. He leaned down, until their faces were only an inch apart, '_So sweet._' And he pressed his lips on Aragorn's, like he always did when he had found his release.

The moment Lithdal's lips touched Aragorn's, Legolas's voice seemed to practically shout in his ear. '_Fight him, Estel!_'

And fighting he did. With strength he did not have before, Aragorn turned his head to the side, pushed his hands against Lithdal's chest and threw the elf from him. Surprise flickered over Lithdal's face, before the elf smiled almost happily. '_Oh, finally you play, too. I was afraid you did not know how to. But I knew you would like it in the end._' And Lithdal stood to his feet, naked as he was, and moved towards Aragorn. Scrambling to his feet, Aragorn backed away.

'_Don't touch me._'

Lithdal laughed and advanced still.

'_I mean it, don't you dare touch me again._' Aragorn's voice rose until he screamed.

Unimpressed, Lithdal leered at him, '_I only want to play. I love you Estel._'

Aragorn shook his head, moving towards the door. He could not take his eyes from the advancing Lithdal, but Legolas's voice was still loud in his ears. '_But I don't love you._' Aragorn said loud and clear. '_Legolas holds my heart._' And Aragorn turned around, rushed to the door and fled the room. He could hear Lithdal's calls chase after him, but he ran down the corridor. When Lithdal screamed his name in a high pitched tone that made his skin crawl, Aragorn threw a look back over his shoulder. Lithdal stood in the corridor, still naked, his white hair trailing over his shoulders and down his back. His icy blue eyes seemed to burn through Aragorn, right into his soul.

Aragorn stumbled, caught in the gaze, and with a yelp of surprise he crashed against the banister at the top of the great stairs that led down into the entrance hall. The wooden banister crunched under his weight and broke. Aragorn felt himself fall over the edge, and only in the last moment could he grab a piece of the broken banister and stop his fall. Looking down, he saw the marbled entrance hall many feet below him.

He looked up again, trying to pull himself up, but there stood Lithdal, bathed in the glow of the candles. He smiled down at the man, before he kneeled before him. Lithdal's hand reached down without touching him. '_Let me help you, Estel. I can pull you up._'

Aragorn gazed into those icy eyes, saw the leering smile. And in that moment he knew, that he would be caught in that bedroom forever of he took Lithdal's hand. If he let the elf rescue him, Lithdal would take him back into that room, and there would be no second chance to escape. And before Aragorn knew what he was doing, he shook his head and let go of the broken piece of banister that had saved him from the fall.

He felt the air rush past him as he fell, saw Lithdal shake his head and get to his feet. And then the marble floor rushed up to meet him, and he knew no more.

And in the real world, Aragorn gasped and opened his eyes. Instead of looking at Lithdal, Legolas's blue eyes met his, full of concern and worry. Instantly Aragorn knew that it was over. That it had been a dream, and that he had defeated Lithdal in his own mind. And that it was all thanks to Legolas.

Aragorn smiled at Legolas and grabbed the elf's hand. His voice was but a whisper, "He is gone."

Legolas squeezed his hand and leaned closer, "I knew you could defeat him."

To be continued.

(One chapter to go)


	13. Epilogue

Epilogue

Weeks passed, and although the dreams about Lithdal still haunted Aragorn, they were different from before. Now, Aragorn was able to fight Lithdal in his dreams, and they did not leave him sweaty and breathless anymore. Now, Aragorn woke from them with a feeling of unrest, but nothing more. Deep inside he knew that these dreams would probably hunt him until Lithdal had been found.

When the first red and orange leaves parted from the trees, the scars on Aragorn's face had faded so much, that only those who knew that they were there saw them. Elrond did not know whether they would ever fade completely, but for Aragorn it was not so important anymore. He knew that Legolas did not care, and that was all that mattered.

Aragorn's ankle and lungs had healed, and he, Legolas and his brothers helped the elves to restore the forest to its prior glory. Young saplings were brought into the burned forest, seeds of grass sown, and the river freed of dead branches and burned trunks. And when autumn knocked on the door of the valley, soft green and sparkling red could be seen between the black trees. The forest would survive, and the elves were glad.

But while Aragorn seemed to have come to terms with his demons, Legolas was still feeling his own haunting him. Whenever he was alone, his thoughts returned to the cave and what he had done that day. He had left his friend alone in the dark, and he had not even noticed that Aragorn was gone. They had not talked about the cave, but with every day that passed, Legolas meant to see the accusation in Aragorn's eyes. '_You left me._' His gaze seemed to say, and Legolas hated himself for his weakness.

With the arrival of autumn, the time for Legolas to return to Mirkwood neared, too. He had promised his father that he would return ere winter claimed the lands, and when the first autumn rain fell cold and wet, Aragorn and Legolas knew that he could delay his return no longer. The only positive aspect about Legolas's return to Mirkwood was that Aragorn would accompany him. They had talked about this with Elrond and Legolas had written to his father. Of course, the King of Mirkwood did not know yet of the bond between his son and the young ranger, and Legolas had not dared to write something like this in a letter. The King of Mirkwood was known for his dislike of most humans, and Legolas felt that he would need to speak with his father in person about this. To his relief, his father had agreed that Aragorn could spend the winter in Mirkwood, had even sounded slightly interested.

On a windy day only a few days before their departure, Aragorn found Legolas in the stables, brushing the coat of his horse and whispering soft words into its ears. Aragorn could put the finger on it, but he had the feeling that Legolas was avoiding him, and the strange look that flittered over the elf's face when he saw him only underlined this feeling. For long hours Aragorn had debated whether he would talk to Legolas about it, without coming to a decision. He did not know why Legolas avoided him, but more than once he thought that maybe Legolas regretted having offered that Aragorn joined him on his trip home. Maybe Legolas did not want him to come with him. Having a relationship in Imladris, where they were both well loved and respected, was one thing. Mirkwood was an entire story entirely. So, in the end, Aragorn had decided that he would simply ask Legolas. If the elf wanted him to come, fine, and if not, well, then he wanted to know now and not while they were over the mountains already.

Aragorn took a deep breath and made his way over to where Legolas was standing next to his horse. "Hello, Legolas." Aragorn said, stroking the horse's soft nose. The animal nicked softly. Legolas said nothing, simply nodded his head and resumed his ministrations. For a few moments silence reigned in the stable, but then Aragorn said timidly, "Legolas…I…I think we need to talk."

Legolas's hand stilled, but he did not turn around to face Aragorn. "Legolas, if…if you don't want me to come with you to Mirkwood, I understand. After all, it's your home and your friends are there, your warriors. If you don't want me there, I will stay here." Aragorn looked at the ground, unable to look Legolas in the face. To his surprise, gentle fingers brushed his cheeks and he felt Legolas stand in front of him.

"You don't want to come?" Legolas asked, hurt and shocked.

"Well, I thought, maybe you don't want me to…" Aragorn bit his bottom lip. It hurt to speak those words, for he wanted nothing more than to go with Legolas, to be with him, wherever the elf was.

"But, I want you to come with me, Estel!" Legolas said with such emotion in his voice that Aragorn looked up at him.

"But, you avoided me." Aragorn said timidly, his eyes large in his face. "I thought you did not want me to come."

"Oh, Estel." Legolas said, hugging the young man. "I did not mean to avoid you. I just…I couldn't.." Legolas voice broke, and he placed his head on Aragorn's dark locks. "I'm so sorry, Estel."

Feeling that Legolas spoke about something else than avoiding him in the last few days, Aragorn gently withdrew from Legolas's arms and gazed at him. "What are you sorry for, Legolas?"

Something flickered in the elf's gaze and he bit his bottom lip. Not able to look Aragorn in the eyes, Legolas gazed at the earthen ground of the stable. His voice was barely a whisper when he spoke, "I'm sorry I left you behind…in the cave."

Aragorn felt as if he had been punched. Since he had woken up in the healing wing, he had tried to forget the cave and everything that had happened. Legolas's words brought all the dark memories back. Memories he whished to forget. But his experience with his nightmares had shown him that ignoring those memories would only make them worse. Facing them was the only way to break their hold over them. So, he took hold of Legolas's hand.

"I was so afraid when you left me, Legolas." The elf flinched visibly and tried to withdraw his hand, but Aragorn would not let go. "You know, unconsciously I always saw you as the experienced warriors, the one who would protect me, always be there for me." Legolas began to tremble lightly. "But, the caves showed me that you are not infallible, Legolas, that you, too, have feelings that are sometimes stronger than the mind." Aragorn squeezed Legolas's hand. "You were afraid, Legolas, nothing more." Aragorn paused, then said softly, "I know what fear is, Legolas. And what it can make you do. How could I blame you for being afraid?"

Aragorn stepped closer and simply wrapped his arms around Legolas's shoulders, "I do not blame you, Legolas, for being afraid. Fear is what makes us who we are. And that you came back to me, although you were afraid, shows me how strong you truly are. Bravery does not mean being unafraid. It means going on despite your fear."

Aragorn felt Legolas shudder. It took a moment, but then the elf relaxed and hugged Aragorn back. "Thank you." Legolas said, nothing more, but Aragorn understood. And, the young man knew that while he had forgiven Legolas, Legolas would need more time to forgive himself. But the healing had begun, and that was good.

The next day, Aragorn and Legolas packed their belongings and readied their packs for the long journey to Mirkwood. And when the first timid frost glittered on the grass that surrounded the cobbled yard in front of the Last Homely House, they said farewell to Aragorn's family. With them, on the order of Lord Elrond, they took a group of elves, so as to protect them. And then they left the valley of Rivendell to make their journey towards the dark forest of Mirkwood.

The End

_If they every arrived in Mirkwood? That, is an entirely other story._

**I want to thank all those readers that made it to this point! I hope you enjoyed this little story (well, obviously, otherwise you would have stopped reading long before now g). I have finished the next story An Autumn's Tale and will start posting that story next week. And to make matter more intresting, here a little teaser:**

**An Autumn's Tale**

_"Legolas!" Aragorn yelled, feeling the elf slip from the horse. He did not know what had happened, but he feared that one of the arrows had found its mark and hit the Prince in the back. Frantically, the young human reached out and grabbed one of Legolas's arms, trying to hold him on the back of the horse. For a moment he thought that he might succeed, but then his mare suddenly turned left to avoid a large tree. The movement caused Legolas to slide to the side. Aragorn tightened his hold, but it was useless. Legolas's unconscious body slid from the horse, and Aragorn, unwilling to let go, lost his own balance. With a shocked cry, Aragorn felt himself tumble off the horse. A second later, his body hit the hard ground with a dull thud, stunning him momentarily. He rolled down a small slope, thorns and stones pricked his skin, and when he came to rest he felt dizzy and disorientated. His chest hurt and for a moment, he heard nothing but his own blood that rushed in his ears. _

_And then, he heard the orcs."_

_"In but moments the orcs holding him had shoved him to the ground once more. Claws ripped his tunic and shirt from his shoulders, unheeding that his arms and hands were still bound behind his back. As soon as the cold air hit his skin, Aragorn began to shiver uncontrollably, and he told himself that it was just the cold and not fear. Rough orc hands forced him down on his stomach and straightened his legs and arms, until he lay flat on the ground. Then, they wrapped thick rope around his wrists and ankles, before they stepped back. _

_Confused, Aragorn looked around, but dared not to move. All around him, the orcs moved to stand in small groups, each of the four groups gathered at either one of his hands or feet. And then the orcs picked up the other end of the rope that was wrapped around his limbs, and Aragorn knew what they would do. He shuddered, trying to pull his arms and legs towards his body, but it was no use. _

_Upon a command of the leader, all four groups of orcs began to pull at the rope."_

**See you soon!**


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